


Done Without You

by nauticalparamour



Series: Done Without You [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, mate, wolf mate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:13:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 17
Words: 37,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22589227
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nauticalparamour/pseuds/nauticalparamour
Summary: Fenrir Greyback answers the call of his kind. Remus Lupin enters into an unbreakable pact. Hermione, unable to let someone die, decides to give this whole mate thing a shot. Wolfmate. Fenrir/Hermione. Shorter multi-chapter. COMPLETE!
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Fenrir Greyback
Series: Done Without You [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1625377
Comments: 36
Kudos: 186





	1. Chapter 1

Hermione Granger wondered if her life would ever be normal with a best friend like Harry Potter. Here it was the third time that she was fighting for her life, and she was already more tired than a fourteen year old girl should ever be. The first year, they'd fought through the Professors obstacles to get to the Sorcerer's Stone. Last year, she'd been petrified by a basilisk whilst helping Harry figure out who the heir of Slytherin was.

And now, she was running through the Forbidden Forest, using her time turner for a reason that was certainly _not_ authorized by the Ministry, no matter what Headmaster Dumbledore had told her. She knew that it was a chance for her to bring some good to Harry's life, and the right the wrong of Buckbeak's execution.

Still, she hated the idea that it _always_ seemed to fall to her to make sure they got out of their scrapes with danger. It was difficult for her to always be on her game and try to remember everything that needed to fall in place. She'd already been through so much this night, and she wasn't even done yet...she had to do it all again, dragging Harry along and making sure that he didn't get them caught.

Not only had they confronted Sirius Black that night, but they'd learned that Ron's familiar Scabbers was actually a _man_ , an animagus, and one of Harry's dad's old school mates. It was a disgusting realization that Hermione almost couldn't stomach, the thought of that twitchy little man hiding amongst the Weasleys for years, because he was the one truly responsible for the Potters' deaths.

Hermione had felt particularly vindicated as Crookshanks had been constantly pestering the little rat, and she couldn't wait to rub it in Ron's face when he was finally out of the hospital wing. She was not mean enough to do it to him when his broken leg was still mending. But, she did plan on giving Crookshanks a vast quantity of treats for being _such_ a good cat.

It was good, Hermione thought, that Harry learned that his godfather wasn't responsible for his parents' deaths. She thought that it would be a really positive thing in his life to have some connection to the people that James and Lily Potter were close with in life, especially after she'd seen just how much Remus's presence in his life had helped. Really, it was one of the only reasons she agreed to use the time turner for this purpose. It was just cruel to give Harry hope for literally only a few hours, only to lose it all again. Helping Buckbeak was just a bonus.

But, she had to go back to being the responsible one, keeping Harry out of sight and trying to remember each and every step they had taken earlier that day. Like, for instance, why weren't they leaving Hagrid's hut? They were going to be caught by Fudge and Malfoy!

Looking down, Hermione noticed an odd looking rock. _Ah yes,_ she remembered, picking it up before taking aim at the open window. She felt a surge of confidence, knowing that she'd _already_ done this once before. She was sure she'd be successful once again.

* * *

Fenrir didn't know what it was that was drawing him back to the Dark Forest month after month. He hadn't gone to Hogwarts when he was a child, seeing as werewolves like _him_ weren't accepted at that time. Dumbledore hadn't made any exceptions for him, like he'd made for his cub — good, sweet, sad, _shabby_ Remus Lupin.

No, instead Fenrir had been schooled at home by a resentful wizarding father and a weak muggle mother. He was sure that when his father had come to England from Norway he hadn't been expecting to raise a werewolf child, who was turned after he snuck out one full moon to go camping. He'd received abuse from his own father and his mother never stepped in to save him, not understanding the beast that her son had become.

When he finally left his home, he only found continued abuse from wizards and witches who despised werewolves. He wanted to shout at them that he hadn't asked for this life, but it had been given to him nonetheless. It wasn't until he found a werewolf pack that he began to feel welcomed. Creating new werewolves only enhanced that feeling for him.

Even though he'd come to despise wizards, he'd found himself feeling compelled to head back to the Forest surrounding the school every time he began to feel the moon's pull. Perhaps he did feel some need to be with his packmates, and the pull of the werewolf's bite wanted to reunite him with Lupin, who was teaching at the school. He hated that his cub was constantly fighting against his werewolf nature by taking that thrice damned wolfsbane. The idea that the man would just curl up in his office, when he could be out, running in the forest, understanding his true nature…

Remus Lupin always seemed to be a man of exceptions.

Sighing as he prepared for the change, Fenrir let some of the tension leave his body. It wasn't as if being a werewolf was an _easy_ life, but he did find pleasure in simple things. Like the idea that his howling at night might be frightening Hogwarts students in their beds. He knew that he was quite loud. And, it was nice to finally give truth to the old warnings that there were werewolves in the Forest. Even if there weren't any others other than him.

He wondered what would happen if all the students realized that their precious professor was a werewolf as well.

Scowling at the sun still hanging low in the sky, Fenrir hated this time of year, when the days got longer and the nights got shorter. He longed for the summer solstice, so that each night, each time he was reunited with his beloved moon, was longer.

* * *

It hadn't been easy to get Buckbeak to come with them, but a few well placed Hippogriff treats had him trotting along happily behind her and Harry. Now she just needed to keep Buckbeak _and_ Harry quiet enough to sneak away. She needed to see what happened with the wizards in Hagrid's hut.

To her immense relief, she saw they were utterly perplexed and frustrated that Buckbeak had somehow gotten free, having seen him tied up only moments before. The executioner they brought along had even raised his arms in fury, swinging down his axe to chop a rather large pumpkin in half.

Before she knew it, the sun was setting and the moon was quickly beginning to rise. That was when she remembered that Professor Lupin was going to be transforming in just a few short minutes, without having taken his wolfsbane potion. Hermione had been furious at having kept Lupin's secret all through the year, only to believe him to have betrayed them. She was slightly annoyed that Harry and Ron hadn't had an inkling that something was not right with their professor.

She and Harry had crept back along the Forest's edge towards the Whomping Willow, only to watch Professor Lupin transform before their eyes, in a sickening crunch of bones. She'd been horrified to see it before, but seeing it a second time didn't make it any easier. It looked incredibly painful.

Hermione squeezed Harry's hand tightly while they watched Sirius in his own animagus form trying to fight Professor Lupin off of them, to keep them safe. Her heart even softened a bit to see Professor Snape through himself between them and the werewolf. But she couldn't stop the niggling feeling that she needed to _do something_ to help them out.

Her eyebrows drawn tight in concentration, Hermione struggled to remember what it was that got Professor Lupin's attention the first time through the night. Oh, it was so difficult to keep all of the events straight after she'd been through so much.

Looking up at the moon, the memory struck her immediately. Cupping her hands around her mouth, Hermione began to howl at the moon, hoping that Lupin would answer the call of his own kind.

Harry shoved his hand over her mouth, halting the sound in her throat. "Hermione! What do you think you are doing?" he whispered fiercely, obviously not too keen on having a werewolf come looking for them.

"Don't you remember? Lupin will answer the call of his own kind," Hermione whispered back. "We need to draw him away from us, like it happened the last time." Unwilling to let Harry stop her, Hermione marched away from him, before repeating the call, her howl ringing out through the vastness of the forest.

Little did she know that that action was going to change her life irrevocably.

* * *

Fenrir had always trusted his werewolf instincts, even when he was a little child. There was nothing to do except to accept the changes that came over him once a month. He didn't fight it, and he found that quickly became less painful. He'd even gotten to the point that he could change at will, even outside of the full moon if he wanted to.

Over the years, he came to relish the change into the werewolf that came without question every month. He delighted in the changes of his body, but most noticeably the change in his senses. If his nose told him to go somewhere, he would go there. If his ears heard something, he would follow them. If his eyes saw something in the periphery, he could guarantee that it was really there.

It was unthinking, a near total loss of control, but instead of inspiring panic, it inspired a calm that washed over him month after month.

So when he heard the sweet piercing howl calling him in the Forbidden Forest, everything seemed to click into place. He knew _this_ was what had been drawing him to Hogwarts every full moon. It wasn't Lupin, as he'd initially thought. No, instead, it was something so much sweeter.

His _mate_.

Fenrir had heard of many werewolves having found their life mate, but he'd never imagined that he would have one himself. He was always too hard, too difficult to deal with, that the idea of having one woman so perfectly suited to him was preposterous. No, he'd always been suited to being an alpha, dealing with squabbles for territory and keeping his pack in line. He wasn't accustomed to keeping a woman happy.

But now, hearing that perfect, melodic, beautiful call, it struck him to his core and he knew that she really was out there after all. He wondered what his mate would be like, rare hope blossoming in his chest for the first time in years. Decades even. Thanking his werewolf instincts for never failing him, Fenrir took off in the direction of the howl, needing to get a glimpse of her.

He looked for her all night, and though he came close, he was never able to find her. By the time his body went back through the change, making him human once again, he'd completely lost track of her scent. It was fine, though. Fenrir knew that he could wait as long as it took.

His mate was at Hogwarts, and he was going to have her.


	2. Chapter 2

Remus sat in the infirmary ward, with his head in his hands. How was it that he was all alone again? He hadn't felt this low since he'd learned that James and Lily had died, and that Sirius was responsible. But, Sirius hadn't been responsible, and Remus had spent fourteen years of his life hating his best friend.

And then his best friend was gone. Dead.

He'd _wasted_ years. And now, he felt such an immense pressure. They had to help end this once and for all.

He stared down at the infirmary bed that held an extremely tiny Hermione Granger, her breathing labored. Had he ever been that small? So obviously a child? How much had society crumbled that she was having to fight for her life? Only a few hours ago, a grown man...Dolohov no less...had tried to murder this _child_ , simply because she was a muggleborn and she was fighting on the side opposite from him.

Remus grimaced, seeing the puckered, purple scar peeking out of the top of Hermione's hospital gown. She would pull through, he knew. After all, Hermione was a strong witch, and with his werewolf senses, he could already tell her body was working overtime to get her back in fighting condition.

Until then, he would sit and watch over her, because there was no one else who could do it. Harry had been swept away by Dumbledore, probably to discuss the evening's action. Ron laid in his own bed a few windows down, recovering from some kind of mental torture.

He scowled at the moonlight filtering in through the window, resting on Hermione's face and making her look almost relaxed.

"Yes, you were that small once." A voice came from behind him.

Remus jumped, having not heard Dumbledore enter the infirmary, his senses so focused on Hermione's bodily functions. He also hated feeling as though Dumbledore must have read his thoughts. "It's wrong that they've been thrown into this," he said, surprised by the low gravelly sound of his voice.

Dumbledore sat in the empty chair next to him. "I agree, but it cannot be undone," Dumbledore said, letting the silence stretch on between them before speaking again. "But, I think that it means we should do everything _we_ can to ensure that this war ends quickly. Don't you agree?"

Of course, Remus would be a fool to disagree, and perhaps that is what Dumbledore was banking on. Remus's assurance that he would do anything to end the war once and for all. For his friends. For James, Lily and Sirius. For the future. For Harry, Hermione and Ron. They deserved more.

And perhaps he should known that Dumbledore wasn't above manipulating people to get them to do what he wanted them to do, and that the setting for this meeting was _not_ accidental. Perhaps he should have known that Dumbledore would ask him to do the one thing that he'd promised would never happen.

Find Fenrir Greyback.

* * *

Remus knew that there was no turning around that this point, but it didn't mean that he'd forgiven Albus Dumbledore. Find the werewolf packs, Dumbledore had instructed. Well, Remus was pretty certain that they'd found him.

Greyback's pack tended to roam Scotland's forests in the summer, but they moved further south during the winter. Greyback himself had taken to skulking about the Forbidden Forest on the full moon, too. Remus initially thought that it might be to terrorize him while he was teaching there, but it had continued after he left.

Following his nose, it didn't take long to find the makeshift camp that Greyback's pack had set up, and even less time to find the alpha. Greyback gave him a feral grin from across the camp, standing next to a cooking fire, huge arms across his broad chest. "Ah, pup, looks like you've finally come to your senses and came home."

Remus grit his teeth together, hearing a crack in his jaw from the pressure. "Wrong, I'm afraid, Greyback. Official business...Dumbledore sent me. Is there somewhere we can talk?"

"Only if you address me properly," Fenrir prompted.

Remus sighed, knowing that it was necessary to keep Greyback's little pack balance happy. "Is there somewhere we can talk... _alpha?_ "

Greyback smiled, but didn't respond, instead turning and heading towards a small cave, the mouth covered by what appeared to be a hanging deer skin. Inside, a second fire was burning brightly. Once they were seated around the fire, Fenrir finally talked again. "What is it that you need?"

"Dumbledore would like to know what you would need to join our cause. It would help to know that we have the werewolf packs on our side," Remus said, cautiously, knowing that whatever Fenrir asked for was likely too great, and they would never be able to deliver. It was no secret that Fenrir hated wizards — despite being one himself — and didn't care to put himself in the middle of a wizard's war.

Fenrir was quiet for a while, his eyes staring into the fire. Remus was surprised to see him this way, almost contemplative. "I want my mate," he said, finally.

Of all the things that Remus was expecting to hear, that was not it. "You have a mate?" he asked, shocked beyond belief that someone as savage and violent as Fenrir could have something as loving and special as a mate. They were incredibly rare and sacred in werewolf culture.

"Yes," Fenrir said, his eyes turning to face Remus, his blue eyes blazing in the firelight. "She is at Hogwarts, and has been there for at least two years. I heard her. She called to me," he said, eager to learn more about his little mate. If there was another werewolf at Hogwarts, surely Lupin would know about it.

"You're wrong. There are no werewolves at Hogwarts right now," Remus countered. He shook his head, thinking about some poor student at Hogwarts being mated to a man like Fenrir Greyback. "I won't force anyone to tie their life to _you_ ," Remus snarled. "That would be a fate worse than death."

Greyback's mouth snapped shut audibly. "Then you have nothing to offer me that would make me want to help in your silly little war."

Remus stormed out of the cave, not bothering to watch his back, wondering if he'd just made a terrible mistake. Had he let his own emotions get the better of him?

* * *

Ever since Lupin had come and visited him, Fenrir had been reeling with the knowledge that his mate was still a human. Just a simple witch. How was it possible that she could have called to him, he wondered? He'd spent more than one Hogsmeade weekend skulking around the village, hoping to catch a glimpse of her, but no luck.

The Dark Lord had come to visit him not long after Lupin, and he drove a harder bargain than the shabby werewolf professor. It was either help him, or die. But, the rewards weren't terrible either — immunity, free reign of the British Isles. Fenrir wouldn't dare tell the Dark Lord about his mate, lest the man try and use it against him. He knew he'd do _anything_ for his mate.

But that was how he found himself running through the hallowed halls of Hogwarts for the first time ever. The Dark Lord had spoken of a battle in Hogwarts, in which Draco Malfoy was going to kill Headmaster Dumbledore. Fenrir had leapt at the opportunity to volunteer, unable to pass up the chance to be near his mate.

He dodged curse after curse that was hurled on his way out of the castle from the Astronomy tower, Bellatrix Lestrange laughing madly as she skipped down the halls. Somehow, that blasted Order of the Phoenix had come to join the cavalry.

Fenrir was about to leave for good, when a scent caught his attention, coming from an alcove. He knew without a doubt that _this scent_ belonged to his mate. Stalking towards the little hiding spot, he could feel his heart beating in anticipation. He desperately needed to know just who it was.

He peered into the dark and nearly gasped at what he found. It was none other than Hermione Granger herself. He was reeling with the information that this mudblood, and all around thorn in Malfoy's side, was the woman who would be his.

With her wild hair and doe like brown eyes, he thought that she looked rather like prey that he'd finally caught. He stepped towards her, watching as she pressed back further into the stone, until he was flush against her. Bending his head to press his nose in her hair, Fenrir let the soothing feeling wash over him that he'd found her. Three years of waiting had been worth it.

Wanting nothing more than to throw her over his shoulder and take her with him, he knew that that would needlessly expose her to trouble with the Dark Lord. Though it took everything in his power to do it, he stepped away from her, rewarding Hermione Granger with a shark like grin, before exiting her nook.

He wondered if she'd been able to feel their connection, too.

* * *

Hating himself for making the promise, Remus trudged through the Forbidden Forest, knowing that Greyback wouldn't have gone so far from the castle so close to the full moon. Cursing Dumbledore, he wondered if the old man had known he was going to die tonight, leaving Remus feeling vulnerable and unwilling to back out of the task he'd promised to do.

Dumbledore had called him to his office earlier that evening, and instructed Remus to find Greyback a second time and get him on their side for good, that nothing the werewolf would ask for was too great. When Remus had tried to explain about Greyback's mate at Hogwarts, Dumbledore had told him that he must agree if that was what Greyback wanted. One person would need to sacrifice herself for the _greater good_.

Remus had agreed, with the intention of arguing about it further, as Dumbledore had another engagement to attend to that evening. Now, Remus was left wondering what would happen to him if he broke a last promise with a dead man.

When he found the larger werewolf, his sire, Remus was disturbed by the positively gleeful look on his face. "I knew that you would come back to me, pup. What is it this time? More promises from your dead leader?" he taunted.

"Yes, actually," Remus said, hating himself that he was going to offer this to Greyback, a man he hated nearly as much as Voldemort. "We need your help. The support of the packs could mean the outcome of this war," he sighed, feeling the weight of his words on his shoulders. "We will give you your mate at the end of the war, if we are successful."

Greyback's eyes looked like he could not possibly be more excited, and Remus once again felt uneasy at the prospect. "An unbreakable vow, then. I cannot appear to have turned my back on the Dark Lord, now, but I promise that when the time is right, I will support your Harry Potter."

His arm stretched out in a sort of peace offering. Remus felt himself shaking, but he took the other man's arm, hands clasped around wrists. Wands raised, they began the making of the vow. Fenrir vowed to work for their side, and Remus vowed — personally — to help Fenrir get his mate once the war was over, on pain of death. That bit hurt most of all, but Remus knew that he would need to be there for whoever Fenrir's mate was.

The deal was done, then, and as Remus was walking away, he heard Greyback call after him. "Did I tell you that I figured out who my mate is?" he asked.

Remus felt his blood run cold. He had thought that Greyback not knowing who exactly his mate was would buy them some time, but it appeared that he was wrong. He should have realized that Greyback was too eager to engage in the vow with him. Turning around, nostrils flared, he stared at the much larger man down. "Who?" he demanded.

Fenrir's grin was positively feral. Each word was punctuated by a self satisfied smile as he watched the realization sink into Lupin's head. "Sweet. _Little_. Hermione. Granger."


	3. Chapter 3

It seemed as if Voldemort had taken over the wizarding world overnight after Dumbledore had been killed by Snape. Fenrir could admit that was even a surprise to him. He didn't think that the broody potions master had it in him. Still, the new world order didn't really affect Fenrir, except that he and his pack were expected to snatch half-bloods and muggleborns...as if half-bloods and muggleborns smelt differently than purebloods.

Fenrir had rolled his eyes at that, but agreed to it anyway. If it meant that he could keep an eye out for his little mate. So far, Potter, Weasley and his mate had been evading capture, much to the chagrin of the Dark Lord. Fenrir was torn between wanting them to stay out of the wrong hands and wanting to know that Hermione was okay.

As it turned out, the trio of Gryffindors fell rather right into his lap one day. While the other snatchers tracked down Potter, Fenrir ran after Hermione, needing to have her in his arms again. Only, once he had her in his arms, he realized this meant he would have to take her to Malfoy Manor.

He kept his hand tightly wrapped around her waist, feeling his body respond to her wriggling form. He couldn't deny that his mate was now of age, and his body knew it too. He apparated her back, after baring his teeth at Scabior, who looked as if he might want a taste of his mate for himself.

Once they arrived, he listened to Bellatrix screeching at baby Malfoy, who was trying to determine if Potter was really Potter. Fenrir could tell from across the room that Malfoy was stalling, if his heart rate was anything to go by.

Fenrir let it all that fade away, instead turning all his focus on Hermione in his arms. He kept one arm around her waist, while the other wound around her shoulders, so she couldn't move away from her. He'd buried his face in her hair, letting her scent wash over him. Pulling her hair out of the way of her neck, he let his lips press against the pale column of flesh.

He smiled feeling her shiver against him. She'd stopped fighting against his hold, and had relaxed back against him, a facsimile of submission that he doubted she even knew she was doing. Still, it made his heart skip a beat that her body might recognize her mate, even if she wasn't a werewolf. Yet.

He used his strong hand to turn her head to face him. His eyes drank in her full lower lip and before he could stop himself, he was leaning forward to capture it between his own lips. He felt her stiffen against him, and when he opened his eyes again, he saw her brown eyes staring into his with confusion, but not fear. He could at least take that as a positive, he thought.

Unable to help himself, he pressed her lips to his again, holding the back of her head so that she couldn't turn away from him. He let his tongue come out to run along that full lower lip. Before pulling back again. He wanted her — Merlin he wanted her — but he knew that this was neither the time, nor the place to push her.

He was drawn back into the chaos of the room, when he heard Bellatrix calling for Hermione...saying that she wanted to have a chat with the girl. Fenrir couldn't stop the low growl from his throat. "No, take the ginger one. This one is mine," he said, letting his hand squeeze one of Hermione's breasts, to laughter from the rest of the room.

"I didn't _ask_ you what you wanted Greyback!" Bellatrix snarled at him, sending a hex his way, which he only barely sidestepped. Had he been a normal human, he knew he wouldn't have. "Hand the bitch over!"

"I said no," Fenrir insisted, pushing Hermione behind him, unwilling to let Bellatrix get her hands on her. He drew out his wand, ready to duel her for Hermione if needed.

Only then, a weird little house elf popped in, and dropped a chandelier, nearly on Bellatrix's head. It was clear the little creature was here to help the trio. Even though it hurt, he knew that his best chance of a life with Hermione, was if Potter won the war. Grabbing her by the arm, he pushed her into the arms of the ginger, only to watch her be apparated away by the house elf.

It hurt to watch his little mate disappear, but he knew it was for the best.

* * *

Hermione didn't think that the day could shock her any more than it already had, when all of the werewolf packs currently in the Battle of Hogwarts suddenly turned sides, fighting alongside the Order. The fact that Remus didn't look the least bit surprised led Hermione to believe that he had something to do with it.

Still, she couldn't dwell on the fact that Remus had made a deal with none other than Fenrir Greyback, when she'd been fighting for her life in earnest for the last twelve hours. Of course, when they'd been on the run, they'd also been fighting for their lives, but today Death Eaters were actually hurling Unforgivable curses her way.

She'd destroyed a horcrux. She'd kissed Ron, in what had turned out to be a horrifyingly awkward experience, leaving them both pulling away with blushes on their cheeks. Perhaps they were better off as friends. She'd watched a dead Harry Potter come back to life.

But none of that mattered when she was dueling with various Death Eaters. Each one seemed to want to take down "Harry Potter's uppity mudblood", as Thorfinn Rowle had called her before she'd disarmed him, to his absolute horror. A quick incarcerous and disillusionment charm took care of the huge blond brute.

Antonin Dolohov engaged her next, perhaps annoyed that she'd taken down his partner. She remembered the pair of them from the cafe earlier that year, when she'd obliviated them. However, her history with Dolohov went back much further than that. Hermione couldn't lie that the intense man had haunted her dreams since he'd nearly killed her.

The most frightening thing about Dolohov had always been his silence. He never seemed to say a word to anyone, creeping along like a shadow until he was waiting behind you. His glittering dark eyes would stare at her, almost unblinkingly, sending a bolt of fear down her spine. Hermione did _not_ want to find out what would happen to her if he caught her.

Her desperation to win the duel made her more formidable than usual. Hermione had never been the _best_ Defense Against the Dark Arts students, and she wasn't very good at calling from a wide variety of spells when under pressure. Still, she could handle her own when failure meant death.

Dolohov was a renowned dueler and it was clear that he had the upper hand. When she began losing ground, getting sloppier, and failing to block some of his spells, he rewarded her with a terrifying grin.

Hermione gasped, when she felt her wand spin out of her hand, obviously hit by her favorite disarming spell, and she thought that it was the end. Closing her eyes, she waited for the inevitable Killing Curse to hit her.

Only, it never came.

Peaking her eyes open, she saw Fenrir Greyback with his claws deep in the guts of Antonin Dolohov. The silent man didn't even make a noise when his eyes went wide and he drew his last breath. Greyback laughed when the man hit the ground dead, before turning to face Hermione, a huge smile showing off his powerful teeth.

He bent down and picked up her wand, before closing the gap between them, handing her the piece of wood. Hermione knew that she should be just as terrified of the werewolf before her who had literally just savaged a man in front of her, but she was overcome by an odd sense of calm.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to speak to her, his head cocked to the side, as he heard one of his packmates call for him. He gave her one last look of longing, before he turned and ran away from her.

Hermione was absolutely confused about what had just happened. Fenrir Greyback had just saved her from certain death, and it wasn't even the first time that he'd protected her! She wondered what it was that led him to do that, especially when it was clear that the werewolves were definitely giving them the upper edge in this fight.

She wondered what Remus must have promised the large man to get his cooperation.

* * *

Celebration seemed to creep over the courtyard of Hogwarts once Voldemort had fallen. Fenrir wanted to rejoice as well, but he had only one focus on his mind, and that was getting his mate. He couldn't celebrate until he had his little mate safely in his arms. His mind was already whirring with hopes for the future, one that included several little pups of his own.

Surely after seeing the protection he could provide her — he'd taken great pleasure in killing Dolohov for her — Hermione would be thrilled to learn that he was his mate.

Fenrir walked through the crumbling halls of the school, following Lupin's scent. He found it in the Great Hall, which was now being used for the injured and dead. The shabby man was sitting at the bedside of a woman with pink hair. He didn't have to be a werewolf to realize that the woman was dead.

"Lupin. I've come to collect my prize," he stated, proudly.

Lupin let out a deep, rattling breath, with just a hint of a growl. "Fuck you, Greyback," Remus said, before turning to look at his sire. Greyback was taken aback by the red-rimmed eyes that stared at him, not with hatred or passion...just lifeless. "My wife has _just_ died. And you come here, making demands," he turned back to stare at the lifeless woman.

Fenrir quickly realized that he had miscalculated the situation. He felt bad for the younger man. Placing a bloody hand awkwardly on Lupin's shoulder, Fenrir cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you'd taken a woman."

"We have a son. He's only a few months old," Remus said, his voice clearly broken. Fenrir couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose someone you loved. He'd never loved anyone, as far as he could remember.

"You are a sire, Lupin?" Fenrir asked, unable to hide a smile. Although he hated that his pup had scorned him and his pack, Fenrir couldn't deny that he wanted everyone he'd turned to have a better life. For many years, he thought that Lupin would resist any chance at happiness, but it appeared he'd been wrong. "What is he called?"

"Teddy."

Fenrir looked around the room, sensing that more and more people in the Great Hall were uncomfortable with his presence there. Just because he hadn't been arrested yet didn't mean that people wouldn't come to their senses eventually.

"Go home to your child, Lupin," Fenrir ordered, knowing that it would help him to know he was still connected to someone else. That he would be strong, because he had to be strong, for his little tyke. "I will give you time to grieve your loss, but know this. I have not forgotten about our vow. I have kept up with my half of the bargain, and now it's your turn. You don't want to leave your child an orphan."

Fenrir let the threat hang in the air. It wasn't him that would be killing Lupin, rather the Unbreakable vow that they had made to one another. Fenrir turned and made his way out the front door of Hogwarts, before retreating to the Forbidden Forest.

He'd waited four years for Hermione Granger. He could wait another month for his mate.


	4. Chapter 4

Remus was walking home from the Ministry of Magic when Fenrir finally tracked him down. In the back of his mind, Remus had been hoping that the older werewolf might have given up or forgotten about the promise that he'd made. But, that would have been too good to hope that Fenrir would forget about something so special and unique as a mate.

"Lupin, I think you've had enough time, haven't you?" Fenrir asked, his grin showing off sharp canines. Remus had always been frightened by how wolf life Fenrir seemed even outside of the full moon. "Take me to my mate," he demanded.

Remus sighed, running his hand through his steadily graying hair. He knew that there was going to be no more putting it off. But he wasn't about to just hand Hermione over to the other man — he wasn't stupid enough to think that that would go well at all.

"Greyback, let's slow down for a minute. I agree you've been very patient," Remus said, trying to placate the other man, though privately, he didn't think that a month was long enough to mourn the love of his life and the mother of his child. Still, he could understand that Fenrir wanted to be with the woman who could be the love of his life.

He could practically feel the annoyance from Fenrir rolling off him in waves. "Yes, so that is why you must give Hermione to me."

Remus put a hand on Fenrir's shoulder. "Look, Fenrir. Hermione isn't a werewolf. She's just a witch and she is going to need time to understand what having a mate means. Let me explain it to her, and then I will arrange a meeting."

The other man snarled, pulling his shoulder away from Lupin's hand. Obviously, waiting for his mate had not mellowed the other man in any capacity. He was clearly on edge having waited so long, and it put Remus on edge too. Hermione was his friend first, and he wanted to make sure that she would be safe and happy, even if it meant...he would die.

"Fine, but I will be waiting," Fenrir said, taking a deep breath and rolling his shoulders, a false serenity coming over his body.

Nodding, Remus hurried back to Grimmauld Place, where he'd been staying with Harry Potter and Hermione after the war. The pair had been great with helping him watch Teddy, when Andromeda was unavailable. As soon as he walked through the front door, he was greeted by Hermione carrying a tiny Teddy in her arms.

"Teddy! Look, daddy is home!" she cooed into the laughing boy's ear, who's hair was rapidly shifting through a sandy blond and bright pink. "Did you have a good day, Remus?" Hermione asked, before handing the baby over.

While Remus had been working with Kingsley at the Ministry, working to get werewolves some representation as beings, Hermione had been working on completing her NEWTs by correspondence. He had been surprised when Hermione declined to return to Hogwarts, wanting to get into the job market as quickly as possible to begin making changes for the better.

She stopped when she noticed his concerned face, she immediately looked on edge. "What's wrong?"

"I have to tell you something," Remus said, not wanting to put it off any longer. "We should sit down."

Hermione was concerned, but agreed, before leading the way to the library, where she always felt most comfortable. She knew that whatever it was he had to tell her was going to be hard to hear, and she could tell that it had something to do with her.

He cleared his throat after they'd sat in silence for a few minutes, Teddy snuggling into Remus's chest to nap. "Hermione, during the war, Dumbledore told me that getting the werewolves on our side was necessary — no matter what he requested."

"Yes, I had wondered about that," Hermione said, her voice already beginning to waiver. "What did Greyback want?"

"Well, you see, Hermione, Greyback revealed to me that he had a mate. A mate in werewolf culture is almost a fairytale. Not everyone finds their mate, but when they do, it's a sacred relationship — they are ideally suited to one another. Mates are personally, emotionally, sexually compatible," Remus said, his face looking down at Teddy.

"Was Tonks your mate?" Hermione asked quietly, wondering if Remus had personal experience with the situation.

"No, like I said, finding your mate is incredibly rare," Remus said looking into his lap. "Right before Dumbledore died, he made me promise that I would get the werewolf packs on our side, and so, I agreed to help Fenrir get his mate."

Hermione wanted to laugh. "Who is she? I can't imagine that someone who is so compatible with Fenrir Greyback is an upstanding citizen." She couldn't see why it would be difficult to track her down, but obviously she was, if Remus was coming to her for help.

Remus cleared his throat again, unable to speak. His eyes darted up to her face, guilty, and he watched as understanding slowly came on her face. "I'm so sorry, Hermione," he said.

"No, no!" Hermione cried, in disbelief that she could possibly be the mate of fearsome werewolf Fenrir Greyback. It didn't seem possible. She was a muggleborn. "I don't care that you made a promise, I won't do it! I don't even know what he wants with me."

She stood up and began pacing immediately, tears rolling down her cheeks, though she wasn't outright sobbing. He was sure that would come later, once it had truly sunk in. Remus sighed, feeling like the worst friend in the whole world. "I didn't know that it was you when I made the promise, I swear, Hermione."

"As if that makes it any better?" Hermione snarled, hands on her hips. "You would just pawn off any young girl to Fenrir Greyback. The man — if you can even call him that — is a savage." Remus winced at her words, but really, he couldn't expect Hermione to keep her cool at a time like this.

"I know now that I never should have done it, but even you can't deny that the werewolves didn't help us during the war," Remus said, knowing how much they had sacrificed, and helped the side of the Order.

"Sure, but I am not about to passed off to their leader, like some kind of war prize," Hermione reasoned. Remus thought that was quite astute, given that Fenrir was quite insistent on referring to Hermione as his prize. He could imagine that it would be a point of contention for the new couple. "Well, I don't care that you made a promise. I am not beholden to it."

Remus kissed the top of Teddy's head, glad that he was able to have a little while with the small boy at least. He had tried of course, but the Unbreakable Vow didn't give you points for trying. "I didn't just make a promise, Hermione. We made an Unbreakable Vow," he said, quietly.

Hermione looked absolutely horrified for a moment, as she thought through the implications of his words. "Why would you do that?" she demanded, sitting down in the chair.

"Dumbledore had just died, I was distraught!" Remus said, finally letting his own anger with himself bubble up. "I never thought that I would survive the war or that Greyback would survive the war. If either one of us had died, none of this would be an issue right now," he tried to explain what his rationale had been, but now, after the battle was over and the dust had settled, it all seemed so hollow.

Hermione clearly didn't care, though, at this point. Standing up and squeezing her hands together, she made a strangled little noise of anger, before stomping out of the library. Rushing after her, Remus tried to stop her. "Wait, Hermione where are you going?"

"Out, I need to clear my thoughts," Hermione said, wrenching on her light jacket, as it was just starting to drizzle.

"Hermione, I don't think that's a great idea right now. Fenrir doesn't need your permission to claim you as his mate, perhaps you should stay inside." Remus stood in front of the door, wanting to keep her safe.

She drew her wand and pressed it up against his throat. "I think I know how to handle myself with a wand, don't you Remus?" she asked, motioning for him to move aside of the door. Once she was in the fresh evening air, she slammed the door behind her.

"Fuck," Remus whispered, knowing he needed to follow Hermione, but he couldn't take Teddy with him. "Harry? Harry, I need you to watch Teddy for a moment."

Hermione had barely made it around the block from the old townhouse when she felt someone grabbing on her arm. "Remus, I told you to leave off," she said, trying to pull her arm back from him. The grip on her arm was like a vice, though, and she couldn't shake it off. Spinning around, she gasped when she saw that it wasn't Remus at all. It was none other than Fenrir Greyback.

He looked better than the last time she'd seen him, she could admit, with his dark hair pulled back from his face. He wasn't nearly as dirty as usual, but he was still wearing ragged clothes, as though the fabric couldn't contain the bunching muscle he had under tan skin. He was a large, imposing man, that was undeniable.

But what really frightened Hermione were his eyes. They were clear blue had filled with such heat, such promise, that it sent a thrill down her spine at what that could possibly mean for her.

He pulled her tight against his body, and Hermione gasped at how hard he felt, her fingers pressed against his chest. He was so much taller than her, and his presence was physically dominating. She could feel herself shrinking and relaxing into him. At least she knew that he wouldn't hurt her. She was his mate, after all, his once in a lifetime chance of something more than happiness.

But, just because he wasn't going to hurt her didn't mean that he was going to keep her against her will. Picking her up, Fenrir threw Hermione over his shoulder as though she were a sack of flour, holding her tight against him. He only walked a short distance, down to a narrow alleyway, before he was drawing out his own wand, and apparating the pair of them away.

Being upside down whilst apparating had Hermione's stomach turning. "Please put me down, Greyback, or I'm going to be sick." Even if she had no intention of being his mate, she didn't think throwing up on him was a good way to start the relationship.

When he set her down in front of him, he just smiled at her with that feral grin of his. She'd seen it more than once since the first time she'd come face to face with the man in her sixth year. Had he known then that she was his mate?

"I see that you know the truth now," he said, his voice deep and gravelly.

Hermione wanted to whimper at his words, but if it was in fear or anticipation she couldn't quite be sure. Her heart was beating so fast, but she felt better being closer to him. Was this biology at play or something more?

"I've waited a long time for you, mate," he continued, closing the distance in between them once again. The way that he said the word mate, like a lover's caress, like sinful promise, had her clenching her legs together, only to be confused about why she would be feeling this rush of...

Grabbing at her neck, gently, but with enough pressure to get her to move how he wanted, he used his thumb to press her jaw up, until she was looking at him, mouth presented and lips parted in surprise. He pressed her lips against hers in a kiss that was anything but gentle and sweet.


	5. Chapter 5

Hermione wondered if she should be embarrassed for the way that she melted into Fenrir's embrace. The way that she'd gasped and let his tongue invade her mouth, drawing a noise from her throat that she was sure other people would classify as a moan, but she wasn't going to put a name to. She knew that she _should_ be embarrassed to be enjoying the attentions of fearsome killer Fenrir Greyback so much.

Finally coming to her senses, Hermione dug her nails into his strong arms — when had she put her hands onto his arms? — and pushed away from him breaking the kiss. Only, it was too late. He saw the look in her eye, the quick way that she looked away, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing her blown pupils and bruised lips.

Before he could say something that was likely to be possessive and revolting, a loud crack of apparition broke the stillness of the clearing that they were in. Hermione wasn't sure if she should feel happy or annoyed to see Remus. She still hadn't forgotten that he was the one who got her into this mess in the first place.

"Greyback, hands off of Hermione," Remus said, his wand trained on the elder werewolf.

"How did you even find us?" Greyback asked, throwing his arm around Hermione's shoulders and tucking her into his side, so Hermione couldn't see the fierce look in his eyes.

Remus growled — surprising Hermione, as he usually shied away from any lupine traits — while glaring at Greyback. "You forget that, although I wish I could break it, we still have a pack bond, _alpha_. I can always find you." That was an even bigger shock for Hermione.

She decided that she was glad for Remus because he was going to save her from Fenrir and whatever his nefarious intentions were. It had been reckless for her to just run away from the house, and she should have listened to what he said about her...mate. Obviously, Fenrir didn't care about playing by the rules.

"Now, I told you, I would explain things to Hermione for you, and _then_ we would set up a meeting for the two of you," Remus said, firmly, as though he were bargaining with a tiny puppy, and not a giant man, who looked like he could crush Hermione's head between his two bare hands. "Hermione doesn't have any werewolf instincts to rely on, and this is a confusing time for her."

Fenrir turned to look down at Hermione, confusion on his face. "Is this a difficult time for you mate? It seemed as if you were quite enjoying yourself just a minute ago," he teased. She wasn't sure if he was trying to embarrass her in front of Remus, but it was working. She hadn't even been away from him for fifteen minutes, and already she'd kissed Greyback!

"Yes, I don't understand. It's very confusing," Hermione said meekly, wanting to get back into the safety of Grimmauld Place.

"See? Hermione is my friend, and I know her better than you. Let me take her home, and I will finish explaining everything to her," Remus said, looking Hermione in the eye. "When Hermione is ready, I will set up a meeting between the two of you."

Fenrir groaned beside her, as if the thought of being parted from her was causing him a physical ache. Seeing the absolute grimace on his face, she thought that he might actually be. In a way she felt a little bit badly that he was being hurt just because of her, before she scolded herself for her bleeding heart tendencies. She couldn't just expect to fix everyone's life.

Finally, teeth gritted so hard that Hermione could hear them grinding, he removed his arm from her shoulders, pressing on her lower back until she stumbled forward. When she realized that he was letting her go, Hermione ran right into Remus's waiting arms. Without waiting for another word, Remus apparated them back to Grimmauld Place.

* * *

"You won't find anything on werewolf mates in written literature, Hermione," Remus's voice said, startling her from her quest in the Black family library. "Werewolves are _extremely_ secretive about mates and their mating habits."

The phrase 'mating habits' made Hermione's cheeks turn bright red. But, it was disappointing to hear, as well. Her comfort zone when she was in an unknown situation, was to read everything that she could about it, to accumulate every detail she possibly could. "So, what is a mate like then? What it sounds like? Or is it just...biological?" She hated how embarrassed she got talking about sex.

"Well, biological is certainly part of it," Remus said, taking it very seriously, and not laughing at him at all. "But, Hermione, you should think of it like...well, husband and wife. Only, mates are for life. Once it happens, once he claims you, there is no going back."

Hermione bit her lower lip. "And, how...exactly...does he claim me?"

"Well, I think I would like to leave the particulars to be discussed between him and yourself," Remus said, looking down at his hands in his lap. "But the basic is that he would bite you where your neck meets your shoulder." He pressed the point on his own neck.

"I'd be lying if I didn't say that...I definitely feel _something_ when I am with him," Hermione admitted out loud for the first time. Then, she shook her head. She wasn't really ready to have _that_ conversation with anyone, least of all Remus Lupin, who, although he was a friend, would forever be Professor to her.

After a moment of silence, Remus spoke again. "Look, I did actually come here to discuss something with you," he said rubbing a hand over his face. "I am not telling you this because I want to guilt you, but just...if I die... _when_ I die from the Unbreakable Vow's terms not being fulfilled, I want you to have custody of Teddy."

Hermione immediately felt her throat tighten and a lump form. Swallowing several times, and blinking away tears that had formed, she realized that she hadn't even thought about what would happen if Remus failed. That his baby, who had narrowly escaped becoming an orphan, would _actually_ become an orphan.

"But, Remus what about Andromeda? Or Harry?" she questioned, hating the way that her voice wavered.

"Andromeda, she's not as young as she once was, and losing Dora and Ted was hard on her. Between you and me...she has heart trouble," Remus told her, regretfully. "And Harry...he's a wonderful godfather, don't get me wrong, but he isn't as good with Teddy as you are. I asked him to watch him while I was tracking you down the other day, and in an hour, they'd destroyed the kitchen."

The thought of that made Hermione giggle for the first time in several days. It was true, Harry was a bit hopeless with the baby. And, if Harry had his way, Teddy would be the most spoiled child in the British Isles!

Hermione sighed, thinking about it. There was no way that she would say no to Remus's request. "Yes, of course Remus. _If_ anything happens to you, I will look after Teddy. I promise."

* * *

The brunette girl laid in her bed at Grimmauld Place, listening to the rain patter on the ceiling. When they renovated the old townhouse, Hermione had claimed the top floor for herself, not wanting to go back to the room that she and Ginny had shared. Harry had readily agreed.

When the war was over, Hermione had thought that her life was going to become so much simpler. No more running or hiding away from evil dark wizards. She was just going to get her NEWTs and then get a job and change the world for the better.

Only to find out that she was apparently a _mate_ to a werewolf, some infinitesimal yet wholly important aspect of werewolf culture that she'd never heard of. To be fair, it had explained a lot of what Fenrir had done for her during the war.

The first time that she'd seen him in the corridor of Hogwarts in sixth year, she'd been scared out of her boots, thinking that he was going to eat her. She'd heard so many stories about him, about him mauling children and taking pleasure in it. But instead, he'd just smiled at her. She wasn't sure what it had meant at the time, and instead it had just frightened her, thinking that he was making some kind of promise to her.

Then, he'd been one of the snatchers that caught her and brought her to Malfoy Manor. He held her against him, saving her from any unwanted treatment, and even stopped Bellatrix from torturing her. True, he'd been very...handsy, grabbing her breast and kissing her, which at the time had had her heart racing. She'd assumed that it was just from adrenaline, but now she wasn't so sure.

In the final battle, he'd even stopped Antonin Dolohov from killing her. She had been positive she was a goner when the silent Death Eater had grinned at her. Instead, he'd had his entrails spilled over the ground in such a savage manner, she could still see it if she closed her eyes tight enough.

All of those things had left her confused about why he was acting like that towards her, but she hadn't put much thought into it since the war had ended. But now that Remus had dropped this bombshell on her, everything was falling into place.

Remus...Hermione was still so mad that he would have made any kind of agreement with Greyback in the first place, but she also could understand just how manipulative Dumbledore could be. She knew it wasn't a coincidence that Remus made the deal the same night that Dumbledore had died.

And really, Hermione knew that she couldn't let Remus die. It was one thing that he was her friend, but it was more that she couldn't leave Teddy completely parentless when he had the chance to have such a wonderful father. Groaning to herself that she knew she _actually_ was going to agree to go through this whole mating business with Fenrir...

...Well, she supposed she could be fated to someone who was completely terrible looking. She could admit that Fenrir was certainly good to look at. He had to be at least a foot taller than she was, and height had always been attractive to her. Greyback was incredibly muscular, too. That wasn't something that she normally swooned over, but remembering how he'd handled her the other day had her feeling a bit dizzy.

Despite his name, Greyback's hair was really more black...she didn't think she'd seen any gray yet, but she supposed she'd never seen him in his wolf form. And his eyes were such a bright blue.

No, it certainly wouldn't be a hardship for her to...get a bit more intimate with Fenrir, if the only thing she was going off of was his looks. She wasn't sure yet about his personality, but she would just have to get to know him better. She wasn't going to just hop into bed...or was it hop on the forest floor?...without finding some common ground with him.

Trudging down the stairs, Hermione stopped in front of Remus's door. Knocking quietly to not wake up Teddy, Hermione listened to Remus padding to the door. He opened it, already dressed in his pajamas. She sighed, and he instantly knew what she was going to say. "I will do it, Remus. But, you have to help me tell Harry and Ron."

Surprisingly, Hermione realized that she wasn't that upset about it.


	6. Chapter 6

Hermione could practically feel the nervous energy building up inside of her all day. After Remus had helped her explain to Harry and Ron about the new relationship she was going to be entering into, he had set up a meeting between Hermione and Fenrir to take place at Grimmauld Place. Ron had, predictably, blown a gasket, and berated Hermione for throwing her life away at a lost cause like S.P.E.W. had been. She'd been hurt to hear his words, but knew that he would come around, eventually. She hoped.

Harry had been much more understanding. He asked Remus questions about how all of this worked, and once he learned that there was nothing to be done, that Fenrir would claim her one way or another, he agreed to help the pair negotiate terms so that Hermione would be somewhat happy with her life.

It had been his idea to meet at Grimmauld Place. For one, it was comfortable for Hermione. She felt at home here and she knew her surroundings. Additionally, Fenrir wasn't _exactly_ a free man. He couldn't just waltz into the Ministry, although Kingsley was working to undo some of the harmful legislation that had been passed against werewolves during the war.

But now that the day of the negotiation had finally arrived, and Hermione wasn't sure she could face him. She hated the unnatural hold that he seemed to have over her. Sure, she wasn't about to jump his bones when she saw him, but she couldn't deny that he made her feel relaxed and even a bit safe. That was why she needed Remus and Harry, to make sure she didn't agree to anything she didn't want to.

She played with Teddy, sitting on the floor of the library, waiting for Fenrir to show up, anything to focus on something normal. Fenrir it seemed was determined to disrupt her life, though, because as soon as she'd pushed the negotiations to the back of her mind, she heard the floo down in the parlor. Picking up the tiny tot, she sighed. "Well, Teddy, I guess there is no point in putting off the inevitable." With the boy on her hip, she made her way down the stairs.

When she got into the room, she felt Fenrir's eyes on her as soon as she walked through the door. Seeing her carry the boy seemed to make him smile. Hermione was reminded that part of the whole mating thing was biological...was Fenrir's biological clock ticking, she wondered?

Handing the boy to Remus, she stood to the side of the room, unwilling to say the first word. She wanted to look anywhere but at the muscular man who seemed to dominate the entire space.

Fenrir was determined to be seen though, and he quickly closed the distance between them, wrapping one arm behind her back and using the other to force her chin up to look at him. He didn't speak, instead lowering his lips to hers in a searring kiss. It sent a zing of pleasure down to Hermione's center and she wondered if it would feel this good if they weren't mates. She was embarrassed to hear a low whining coming from her throat, and she realized that she wanted more.

Hearing a throat clearing, Hermione was reminded of her audience. She unwrapped her arms from around his neck — when had she done that again? — and pushed him away. With red cheeks, she glared up at him. "You can't just go around grabbing and kissing me like that!" She was on her own turf and she was determined to stand her ground.

Fenrir didn't try to hide the fact that he sniffed the air, a lazy grin across his face. "Why not, mate? You _clearly_ enjoyed it."

She wasn't able to stop the blush from rising to her cheeks, because she knew he was right...she did enjoy it. Still, she wouldn't stand for being manhandled like that. "Because in the muggle world, you can't just go up to strangers and kiss them!"

Immediately, she could tell that she'd hurt him with her words, and she was surprised to see the big tough man seem uniquely vulnerable. "But, I am not a stranger, I am your mate." His words came out like a whine. Hermione was sure that if he was a puppy, his ears would be drooping.

"Yes, that is correct, Fenrir," Remus said, cautiously, intruding into their two way conversation. "But that's why we need this little negotiation. So that you can _both_ learn what is normal to the other. Should we sit down?" He gestured to the table that had been set up. Fenrir quickly nodded, before sitting down on the same side as Lupin. Harry and Hermione sat opposite them.

"I don't recall agreeing to his presence," Fenrir said about Harry, but he kept his eyes firmly focused on Hermione.

"Harry is like Hermione's packmate, Greyback," Remus told him, pointedly. "They have a deep friendship, and Harry is here to make sure that Hermione is well looked after in the negotiations."

That seemed to be understandable for the man, who looked entirely too big for the chair he was sitting in. Hermione could see all the muscle in his upper body tensed and poised, as though he were spilling over with potential energy. Perhaps noticing his mate looking at him, he rewarded her with a smile. "When do we mate?" he asked suddenly.

Hermione gasped in outrage, at the idea that she would just jump into bed with him immediately now that she'd acknowledged the situation. "Excuse me! That is not the way this is going to happen," she said hotly. "There will be no...intercourse, until I get to know you better."

That seemed to outrage her mate, as he snarled at the idea that he didn't know her. "And how do you propose I do that? You won't even let me near you!"

"Well, if this is essentially going to be a marriage...I would like to go on some dates first." Hearing the words said aloud made Hermione feel a little bit silly. The idea of Fenrir Greyback taking her on a date...taking anyone on a date was outrageous. "I want you to meet my friends and family. And once that happens, then we can mate."

Silence hung between them for a few beats. Fenrir then crossed his arms and cocked his head to one side, giving her a contemplative look. "One date," he said, perhaps willing to make that _great_ sacrifice.

"Ten!" Hermione countered, not willing to be cowed by his dominant personality.

"Ten? Absolutely not, mate. I have waited nearly five years for this day, I've given you time to mature and I gave your friend Lupin a chance to grieve. I will not wait for ten dates," he said, low growl daring her to object.

"If I may, Greyback and Hermione, there is a saying in the muggle world about...three dates," Harry said, timidly. His cheeks were bright red to think about Hermione having sex with anyone, let alone the man across the table. "Perhaps that would be a more suitable amount of time.

"How long would I have to wait?" Fenrir asked, looking to Lupin for advice. He perhaps trusted the werewolf at his side much more than he trusted Harry Potter.

Lupin chewed at his lower lip, before glancing at Hermione. "A month. But that is not to say that you couldn't be affectionate during that time. Kissing, and perhaps a bit more would be acceptable during that time period, just not intercourse," said.

Hermione gasped. "Whose side are you on, Remus?"

"Unfortunately, Hermione, the vow stipulates that I am on his side," Remus said, regrettably. He was glad that he held Teddy in his arms, as it would likely shield him from violence from either Hermione or Greyback.

Fenrir took a deep breath and looked at Hermione shrewdly, perhaps understanding that this was likely the best deal he was going to get. "Deal. But, I want her to complete a _full_ mating then. The timing is right, and we can start this weekend," he told Lupin, who had a quill and paper and was taking notes.

"A full mating? What's that?" Hermione asked, suddenly on the edge of her seat, wanting to know more about what she was agreeing to.

"You want me to meet friends and family, I want to introduce you to the pack," Fenrir said, a small smirk on his face. "There would be three ceremonies. Two held with the pack and then the mating would commence prior to moonrise on the full moon."

Hermione looked down in her lap, her mind going to a secret fear she'd had all along. "I don't want to be a werewolf," she admitted quietly.

Remus cleared his throat, wanting to be as delicate as possible. "I am afraid, Hermione, that...that won't really be a possibility."

Fenrir reached across the table and covered her hand with his own large one, swallowing up her fingers in his palm. "Don't worry mate. I will help you through the change. You would have to live with the pack and this will keep you safe." He was surprisingly tender and Hermione nearly gasped looking into his blue eyes. They were so deep and made her feel at home.

"I'll, I'll need time to process that," she said, but knew that if she was going to go through with the mating — which seemed inevitable that this point — she was going to have to be a werewolf and take on all the stigma that came with it. "I want to live in a house," she said suddenly.

Fenrir started to laugh at her words, thinking that it was a joke. "No, I am not joking," she told him firmly. "As this is a marriage...any children that come along...I want them to grow up in a house. To lead as normal of a life as possible," she said, hoping that she hadn't inadvertently hurt Fenrir's feelings again. "And, if I am going to get a job, I will need a floo."

He admired her tenacity and her desire to work. He wouldn't keep his mate from doing what made her happy, even if it was working with wizards. "I have no problem with that. I will have to begin construction soon," he said happily. He was even more happy that his mate had voluntarily brought up children. He had the desire to have his own litter of pups now that he'd found his woman.

"So, Fenrir, you and Hermione will have three dates prior to mating. Hermione will take part in several ceremonies with the pack. Fenrir will provide housing with a connection to the floo network upon completion of the mating. Anything else you'd like to add?" Remus asked.

"What do the ceremonies entail?" Hermione asked. "And how exactly does the mating occur...that is, how is it different from sex?"

"The mating is just like normal sex," Fenrir said, feeling odd to be giving up werewolf secrets with an outsider involved. "But I will bite you here at the end. You will shift shortly after, seeing as the moon will be rising." He touched the part of her neck where he would give her a mating mark, and couldn't hide his smile when she shivered at his touch. "I cannot talk about the other ceremonies with the outsider here." He gestured to Harry.

"Can Remus be there? At the first two ceremonies, I mean?" Hermione asked, feeling as though she was going to need some support.

"Of course he can, mate," Fenrir said, his tone indulgent. "He is pack after all."

With all of the details hammered out and agreed upon, Fenrir insisted that they seal their plans with a kiss. He left Hermione not long afterwards feeling dizzy and a bit aroused. Harry grinned at her. "He's really not what I expected."

"In a good way or a bad way?" Hermione asked.

"Definitely in a good way," Harry said. "I just hope this turns out alright for you." He wrapped Hermione in a tight hug, hating that she was losing a chance to be a young woman. But he also had a weird feeling that Fenrir Greyback might be good for his friend.


	7. Chapter 7

"I don't even know what to wear," Hermione said with a huff, holding a dress up against her body. What did you wear to the first date with the man you were essentially going to be marrying in less than a month?

Harry looked up from the Quidditch magazine he was reading while reclining on the desk. "I think it's probably too early for a dress, Hermione. Why not just wear jeans and a nice blouse?" he offered, leading Hermione to wonder when he became so sage.

Hermione was planning all of the "muggle" dates, and she had decided to take Fenrir into the muggle world for the first one. She was just planning on taking him to a little pub that wasn't very far from Grimmauld, but she knew that they made a good steak, and she was just assuming that Fenrir would like that.

"I can't believe you are _even_ entertaining her," Ron seethed from the corner of the room, sitting awkwardly on the toadstool chair by the window, arms crossed. "I can't believe that you are letting her throw away her life on that _mongrel_ and pretending like a few dates is going to make it work."

"Excuse me, Ronald," Hermione said, firmly. "I am not pleased with the situation either, but I am trying to make it work, because it's going to happen one way or another."

"We could protect you, 'Mione," Ron said, his blue eyes looking so sad. Sure, they didn't work out as a couple, but they still cared deeply about each other, and they probably always would.

"I don't need protecting, Ronald. I can handle myself," Hermione said, hands on her hips. "And that would mean that I could never leave the house, never get a job. I don't want to live like that," she argued, knowing that Fenrir wouldn't rest until he'd made her his mate, permanently.

"Doesn't that bother you?" Ron asked, his face falling. "That he isn't giving you a choice."

Hermione sank into the corner of her bed, her breath leaving her. Honestly, yes, it did bother her, having her choice taken away. She didn't _want_ to become a werewolf, but it seemed like that was impossible to avoid. But, she also knew what this meant to Fenrir. "You don't understand, Ronald. It's not that he just wants me. It's a physical ache. And really, I should be excited that we are apparently so suited to one another that magic intervened."

Ron's face was red, as though he was trying _very_ hard not to lose his cool with her. "Hermione, you can't just throw your life away on a cause. This is just another house elf thing to you, isn't it? You can't worry about Greyback's physical _needs_ ," sneered.

She felt her blood boiling a bit that he was being so dismissive of the creature rights causes that she worked for, especially when he _knew_ that's what she wanted to do at the Ministry. She felt Harry's hand weigh down on her shoulder, giving her a comforting squeeze. "Ron, Hermione has made her decision. All we can do now is try to support her, and get to know Greyback a little better. He's a part of Hermione's life now."

Giving Harry a bright grin, Hermione felt her heart swell with how much her friend had grown through the years. When Harry was younger, he'd always been so reactive, but the war and the resulting trials had made him see things more clearly.

Ron took a deep, shuddering breath, before nodding, unable to meet Hermione's eyes. "Alright. Wear that red top — you always look nice in it," he told her, before standing to leave the room. Hermione kicked Harry out as well, wanting to get changed. Just because they'd basically seen the other naked when they were in the tent on the run didn't mean she wanted an audience.

Slipping into nice looking jeans, and the aforementioned red top, Hermione sat down at the vanity and put just a hint of makeup on, and tried to style her hair a bit. Through the years, it had gotten much more manageable, but she still had trouble figuring out what to do with the wildly curling hair. Part of her wondered what Fenrir thought of her looks...was he happy with the way she looked?

As soon as she was satisfied with her appearance, a knock came at the door. Harry didn't wait for an answer and poked his head in the door. "Greyback's here. He's waiting with Remus in the parlor."

Knowing that she couldn't put it off any longer, Hermione stood up and walked down the numerous stairs to the first floor of Grimmauld Place to the parlor. She opened the door and found Greyback waiting for her there, bouncing with energy.

As soon as his blue eyes locked onto her form, he made a move towards her, only to be held back by Remus. "No, you can have a kiss at the _end_ of the date if it goes well."

Hermione couldn't help but giggle at the admonishment, thinking that Remus must have been giving the other werewolf some dating advice. Remus was taking his vow very seriously, and had wanted to do everything to help Fenrir succeed in his muggle dates. Fenrir's updated wardrobe was certainly the work of Remus.

He looked really good, Hermione decided, in jeans that actually fit his body, and weren't ripped or dirty, unlike the black track pants he usually wore. He wore a white undershirt under a _pink_ plaid shirt, the buttons left undone. She felt her jaw drop — just a _little!_ — at the bit of chest hair peeking out of the collar of the v neck shirt. His beard was freshly trimmed and his hair was brushed and neat. He almost looked like he could pass for a muggle, although Hermione could still see some of his lupine traits bleeding through, like his _exceptionally_ sharp teeth.

Fenrir seemed just as enamored with her appearance, drinking in her form greedily, until Remus elbowed him in the side. He let out an oof of pain, before remembering what he was supposed to do. "Mate, you looking ravishing," he complimented her.

Hermione felt her cheeks heat up...not in embarrassment, but rather pleasure that he liked the way she looked. She gave him a shy smile. "Thank you, Fenrir. You look very nice tonight. But, you should probably not call me mate, tonight...the muggles might find that a little off-putting," she gently corrected him.

"Alright, _Hermione_ ," he said, feeling out the syllables of her name on his tongue. "Where are we going tonight? Remus told me that muggles go to watch moving pictures or dinner or places where you can play games." For all his posturing about being annoyed at being subjected to the dates, he seemed to actually be interested in them now.

"Just dinner, tonight," Hermione told him, though, she made a mental note to try taking him someplace else for their second date. "It's not far from here. Just let me grab my coat, and we can walk over?" Fenrir didn't object, so Hermione hurried to the closet to retrieve her coat, before getting the werewolf. Saying goodbye to both Remus and Harry, Hermione let him out the front door to the muggle world.

It was quiet while they walked down the street, lined with boulevard trees. The night was still and comfortable. Maybe she would see about eating out on the patio if it was available. She glanced at Fenrir out of the side of her eye and noticed that he was walking very stiffly, as though he didn't know what to do with himself. Biting her lower lip, she decided to be a bit bold, and reached over, grabbing his large hand in her own.

He looked over at her with such surprise, before looking down at their joined hands. A huge grin slowly spread over his face, as he held her hand tighter, all of the tension in him dissipating into the night.

Before long, they were seated at a table in the pub in a cozy back corner, a few candles on the table. Hermione had ordered a glass of wine for herself, before ordering him a "proper ale", thinking he would appreciate the taste. "I didn't know what kind of food you liked, but I figured you probably liked steak. What are some of your favorite foods?"

Fenrir grinned at her, chuckling. "Whatever I hunt, though I am partial to deer," he said. "The fresher the better."

Hermione felt stomach turn a little bit at what he said, before she recovered, realizing that it was all he had. "Well, then you should just order your steak here rare," she teased. "Don't you remember what kind of food you liked...from before?" she asked delicately.

He let out a deep breath, obviously deep in thought. "My father always liked fish. My mother would make it for him all the time." Even though it was difficult for him to talk about his parents, it felt good to tell his mate about his past. She easily drew him into conversation, and he found it easy to open up to her. They talked about all sorts of things, like his one trip to Norway, when he'd just been a lad, to visit his grandparents. She told him about her parents always used to take her skiing in Switzerland before she'd gone to Hogwarts.

They talked all through dinner — his steak was excellent...he'd forgotten how delicious a sear could be — discussing the future. Fenrir was mostly interested to learn about what kind of job Hermione wanted to have. He'd been impressed to learn that she was already a champion of creature rights, even though she flushed pink in embarrassment when she told him about her failed attempts at freeing the house elves of Hogwarts.

All in all, it was enlightening. There was a lot more about his mate that he hadn't realized, and he could admit that although he would like more physical touching, just talking was stimulating for him. At least Remus had steered him correctly when helping him to buy clothes. Personally, Fenrir found clothes to be very restrictive and a bit silly, but it appeared that his little mate enjoyed the way he looked in them. And he could admit that he _very much_ enjoyed how she looked in hers.

When dinner was over, Hermione paid the bill, and Fenrir felt a little bit bad. He of course had a Gringott's account — the goblins didn't care if you were wanted by the Ministry — but he almost never used it because he could subsist in nature. Perhaps sensing his discomfort in not being able to _provide_ for his mate, Hermione admonished him with a smirk. "Honestly, Fenrir, I am the one who _invited_ you on this date. I am the one who should pay for it."

It must have been okay, otherwise Remus would have told him he was expected to pay, and would have helped him get some of that funny, muggle, paper money. And, he would have many opportunities to prove to Hermione that he could provide for her over the next month.

Remembering that a kiss came at the end of the date, Fenrir practically dragged his mate back to Grimmauld Place, though he sensed his mate would have prefered a more leisurely pace. He couldn't wait any longer, as he'd been staring at her lips since they'd finished dinner and he needed to have them on him as soon as possible.

Glad to find that they didn't have an audience, he pulled his mate firmly against him as soon as she closed the door behind him. His heart was pounding in his chest when she buried her nose in his chest, sighing at the scent. It felt wonderful to know that his mate enjoyed his scent as much as he did hers. It was tattooed into his brain.

Running a thumb along the curve of her jaw, he tilted her head up to look at him. Her lips were slightly parted and he could already see her pupils growing with desire. He pressed his lips against hers in a deep kiss, his tongue moving to tangle against hers in a delicate dance. She responded eagerly, her hands grasped tightly in his shirt, pulling him closer.

Fenrir groaned, wanting nothing more than to press her back against the wall, and take her right then and there, but then he remembered that Remus instructed him that he must not push Hermione. Perhaps at the next date they could go a bit further, physically, but Hermione would be upset if he pushed her too fast. Plus, Remus had told him to leave her wanting more.

Pulling away, seeing that dazed, confused look in her brown eyes made him think he'd certainly achieved _that_ aim, and he felt a bit of masculine pride at the thought. Bidding his little mate goodnight, Fenrir turned and apparated back to his pack.


	8. Chapter 8

If Hermione didn't know what to wear to her muggle date, trying to figure out what to wear to the first bonding ceremony with the werewolf pack was even more difficult. Finally, she'd asked a helpless Remus Lupin to help her choose what would be most appropriate, but seeing as he hadn't been to a ceremony either, he just stood outside her closet awkwardly.

In the end, she followed the advice of a wise Teddy Lupin who had grabbed the hem on a yellow sundress that was hanging up and wouldn't let go of.

She was glad that Remus was going to come with her to the ceremony, as she had absolutely no idea what to expect, other than that it was a way to introduce her to the pack. She didn't fancy being the only non-werewolf there, but it would be good to know someone else was in her corner. Remus had decided to bring Teddy along as well, thinking it might be a good experience for his son, seeing as it _was_ a part of his father's culture.

Just before sunset, she hugged Harry and Ron goodbye, and Remus had apparated them to where the pack was waiting, using his connection to his alpha to help guide them. Hermione blinked around, surprised that the ceremony already seemed to be in full swing, with various people playing homemade instruments and some people dancing around a huge bonfire in the center of the clearing.

As soon as they got there, Fenrir was appearing at their sides, wrapping Hermione in a tight embrace and drawing her in for a lingering kiss. Hermione quickly noted that he had forgone his shirt, leaving his strong chest on display. She pulled back, surprised. "What happened to being a gentleman and waiting for the end of the date for a kiss?"

Fenrir smirked at her, letting his hand squeeze her arse. "That was an instruction for _muggle_ dates. This is a werewolf ceremony and there are no restrictions on when I can kiss my mate." He turned to Lupin, obviously pleased to see him there as well. "Lupin, I see you brought your pup. Come, let me take Hermione to the women and then I can introduce you to everyone."

Hermione's eyebrows knitted in confusion at the statement about bringing her to the women. She quickly learned that it had something to do with the ceremony, as three female werewolves — three generations of one family, with the youngest being a few years younger than Hermione — brought her out into the forest. "We need to check you to make sure that you are fertile for the alpha," the youngest one, Carina, told her.

She felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment, while they instructed her to lay down and lifted up the skirt of her dress. The oldest woman, Calista, pressed her hands against Hermione's belly and began chanting low under her breath with her eyes closed. She could feel a little jolt of magic in her womb. Calista looked up with a smile on her face. "Yes, you are very strong and healthy."

"You should be able to give alpha many strong pups," the middle woman, Celestia, told her with a smile. "Do you mind if we check...err, is your innocence in tact? It is the final step before we can go back and enjoy the celebration," she asked, knowing that it was an awkward situation.

Hermione felt a bit of rage bubble up inside of her that she was being subjected to such an invasive ceremony, but at the same time she wanted to get off on the right track with the rest of the pack, and she really didn't want to embarrass Fenrir. Nodding hesitantly, she removed her knickers and let Celestia check that her hymen was in fact, untouched.

After righting herself, Hermione stomped her way back to the clearing, wanting to find Fenrir to berate him for not giving her any warning. She found him sitting by the fire, laughing with Remus, while he bounced Teddy on his knee. She softened for just a moment, seeing him with the smiling toddler, but then she remembered what she'd just endured. "How could you just do that to me, without giving me any warning? Don't you know...that kind of thing is private?"

Fenrir smiled at her, seeing her cheeks so flushed, and finding her really rather adorable. She wondered how long he would be able to keep his paws off of her. "There is almost no privacy in the pack, Hermione," he knew it was a non-apology, but he wasn't really sorry.

She seethed a bit, letting out a noise of frustration, before turning to face Remus. "Remus! I want you to check and see if _he_ is fertile!" she demanded, pointing her finger in Fenrir's general location.

Her mate stood up, proudly, his hands already on the snap of the muggle jeans that he was still wearing, before Remus stood as well. "No, no! Hermione, trust me, you do _not_ want me to do that. Trust me when I say he is fertile."

The brunette witch huffed, annoyed that Remus wasn't willing to do the test for her, but she understood that the male exam must be different somehow. "How can you tell?" she whined.

Remus tapped the side of his nose. "Werewolf sense of smell, remember? Just trust me, okay " he practically begged, and seeing the disappointed look on Fenrir's face, Hermione decided that she would actually listen to her friend.

Huffing, she crossed her arms over her chest, only to see Fenrir staring intently at her breasts. Scowling at him, she let her arms drop her sides. "Well, fine. Was that it? Was that the whole ceremony? Letting some random woman I don't know stick her fingers inside me?"

Fenrir wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to his body. She could feel the heat rolling off his bare chest, and she tried not to get caught staring at the chest hair decorating his strong body, particularly, the bit that disappeared into his jeans. "If I'd thought you'd let me do it, I would have taken care of it myself," he whispered into her ears, laughing when she turned bright red. "No, tonight is all about me showing you and your family the life that I can provide for you."

He began walking her over to the other side of the bonfire, grabbing her a cup of mead on the way. Hermione happily took a drink, if only to try to and stop herself from saying something that would offend her future mate. When they got to the opposite side of the bonfire, Hermione gasped to see a rather large deer roasting, being turned by two men, slowly. They looked tired to be doing it. "Is all this for me?" she asked, actually surprised.

Fenrir rewarded her with a genuine smile. "Yes, I know how partial you are to cooked food. I hunted the deer this morning," he told her.

Hermione felt her heart skip a beat when she heard how much he'd done for her. The idea that he would go out and hunt down a deer, just for her, and then go through all the trouble of cooking for her, when she was sure that no one in the pack understood why. It was touching to know how much he'd wanted her to be included. "Thank you."

"C'mon, there is something else I want to show you," he said, guiding her to the edge of the forest, far away from all the noise of the pack. She didn't even feel a little bit worried about being alone with the large man, feeling perfectly safe. "Here it is!" he said, obviously excited.

She stood in complete awe of the foundation of what was certain to be an adorable little cabin. Hermione walked inside of it, thinking about everything Fenrir had done for her so far. She stopped, standing in front of the beginnings of a hearth, big enough to floo from. Turning, she met his eyes, seeing him staring at her with _such_ hope. "Thank you, Fenrir. All of this is so lovely. Is this all for me?" She was very impressed with the lengths that her mate would go for her.

Giving her another smile, soft and subdued, he nodded, seeming almost a bit shy. It made Hermione's heart even a little bit fonder for the man. Closing the distance between them, Hermione stood up on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck, before pressing a sweet kiss against his lips. Sighing, she pulled away.

"Let's get back to the party, before I forget my promise about not mating you right here and now," he said, rubbing a hand over his face. "Merlin, witch, you make it hard to keep focused," he teased.

On the way back in, the deer was being cut and served, so Fenrir stopped to get her some food, and a refill on her mead. He would like more than anything to pull her into his lap so that he could feed her, and show her just how much he would take care of her, but he knew his independent mate would never give in to that. Instead, he sat her back next to Remus, letting her talk to her friend.

Over the night, all the members of his pack came up and introduced themselves to her, all of them eager to meet the woman who had transformed their alpha. She was sweet and giggly, and he could see her cheeks get more and more rosy in her cheeks while she drank the mead. Before he knew it, she was perching _herself_ on his lap, pressing her face into the crook of his neck.

Fenrir tried not to melt when he felt her little finger playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. "Oh, Fenrir. Why do I like you so much? Why are you so sweet to me?" she asked, before giggling to herself. "And why do all of your kisses make me want to do all sorts of things to you?"

He grinned to himself, letting his hand rest on her perfect arse. "Your body senses its mate," he told her, before giving her a deep kiss, letting his tongue slide against hers, making a shiver run up her spine. "And I am so sweet with you, because I want to make you happy, mate," he revealed.

Hermione sighed into him, initiating the kiss, and letting her hand run through the hair on his chest. Taking it as an invitation, Fenrir let his hand come up to cup her breast through her dress. He'd been dying to do that all night. Groaning into the kiss, he couldn't believe how perfect his mate felt to him. He could feel her nipple harden through the fabric, and let his thumb run back and forth over the peak.

His lips found the soft skin of her neck, tongue running against her pulse point. He wanted nothing more than to sink his teeth into the skin and make her his mate in true, but he would settle for marking her to let everyone know that she was his.

He was a bit surprised that she didn't seem to care about the audience that they had, and he hoped that it meant she was beginning to understand that there were no real secrets in the pack. A few people looked on in interest, before returning to their own conversations.

Fenrir dropped his hand to her thigh, pushing the fabric of her dress up, only to think on it again. Although he would like nothing more than to feel the heat between her legs, he knew that things were moving a bit too fast.

Groaning, he broke the kiss that they had been sharing, only to have her whine in disappointment. "Come mate, let's get some sleep," he said, finding them a spot near the dwindling bonfire.

Snuggling into his side, Hermione wrapped his large arm around her trim waist. Smiling up at him, it seemed that his mate was very content. "Hold me, Fenrir. Keep me warm," she whispered to him, letting her head rest against his chest. Wondering if the gods were trying to kill him with that request on his mate's sweet lips, he settled in for a long night, content to press himself against her body.


	9. Chapter 9

Hermione woke up the night after the first werewolf ceremony with her face pressed against a very hard and very naked chest, arm wrapped around her back, holding her close. Her head felt a little funny and her mouth was a bit fuzzy, while the memories came pouring back in.

She sat up, staring down at her future mate, horrified at the way she'd practically thrown herself at him. "How much did I even drink?" she whispered to herself, wanting a hole to open up and swallow her so that she wouldn't have to face Fenrir.

A clearing throat from her left made her whip her head round so fast that she felt a bit dizzy. "Err, sorry about that Hermione," Remus said, a sleepy Teddy resting on his lap. "I forgot how much different human tolerances are from werewolf ones. It didn't seem like that much mead, and you were having such a good time."

Standing up, she was met with a scowling Fenrir. "Leaving so soon mate?" he asked her with that voice, that voice that made her want to lay back down and start snuggling again. Shaking her head, Hermione wanted to scream a bit. She wasn't acting like herself, and she didn't know what to do with that.

Forcing herself to not care if she hurt Fenrir's feelings, she bade him goodbye. "Thank you for the first ceremony, Fenrir. I will owl you this week to hammer out details for our next meeting," she said, trying to keep it clinical. Tearing her eyes away from his muscular form, Hermione turned to Remus, offering him a hand so that they could apparate away together.

When they were back home in Grimmauld Place, she immediately began to cry. Remus was confused, but wrapped her in a hug. "Hermione? What's wrong? I thought everything went really well last night."

"I don't know what's happening to me, Remus," she whispered, feeling scared.

"Let me go put Teddy down, and I will come to your room. We can talk this through," he promised, giving her hand a squeeze.

Hermione nodded, before heading up all the stairs to her room, eager to just crawl into her bed and sleep for several hours. Fenrir had been a nice pillow, but sleeping on the ground wasn't exactly pleasant either.

When Remus entered her room a few minutes later, he brought freshly brewed tea, and chocolate. Seeing Hermione tucked in her covers and looking so _entirely_ pitiful pulled at his heartstrings. "Tell me what's wrong, Hermione. I feel like this is all coming out of left field."

"I just...I don't know what it is about Fenrir, but he makes me act like I'm not myself. Every time I am around him, I go a bit gooey in the head and it makes me act like a different person," Hermione said in a frustrated huff. "I am Hermione Granger — I don't just let people grab me and kiss me like that, or let someone feel me up in front of all those strangers. I just think that the pull of my mate is overriding my feelings."

Remus could see where she was coming from, but he thought that it was maybe less sinister than she was thinking. "Hermione, I know this isn't going to be easy for you to hear, but...I don't think it's the mating thing that's making you act this way. I think you just genuinely like Fenrir, but you didn't expect to, thus the conflict."

"How do you mean?" she asked, pulling herself up so that she could sip her tea without spilling on herself. The chocolate, as usual, _did_ make her feel better.

"Well, take me and Nymphadora," Remus said, his fingers spinning the wedding band that still resided on his finger. "I was definitely acting...not like myself around her. I was nearly unable to talk, she made my mind go a bit fuzzy, and my heart race. When you love someone, you will change little things. It's just because it's so new and exciting, but that doesn't mean it's a bad thing."

Hermione looked helpless when she realized it was true. It had been the same with every guy she'd had a crush on before.

"And while I know that you and Fenrir don't love each other, it's obvious that you are attracted to one another. And perhaps, someday, you will come to love one another, too," Remus continued, with a soft smile on his face. "Obviously, you care about him, if you are reacting so strongly."

Hermione so hated it when she was wrong about something. It was true that if she didn't care about Fenrir, she probably wouldn't have reacted this way at all. And she could admit that she was attracted to Fenrir, not just his looks, but his aura and his personality as well. She was learning that he was so much more than just the savage everyone made him out to be.

Looking at Remus, though, she had so many questions for him. After all, he was the reason why Remus was a werewolf. "How can you stand to spend time with him? After what he did to you?" she asked quietly. "And, let him hold Teddy?"

"I was so angry at Fenrir for so long," Remus said slowly. "But I've learned now that he had so much hurt in his past. I think his desire to build up his pack was just because his family neglected him once he was turned. He wanted to surround himself with people like him. It doesn't make it right, but I've forgiven him. And my father didn't help matters, either."

Hermione's eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. "What did your father do?"

"He was one of the most vocal werewolf opponents. He was the author of some of the most vile anti-werewolf legislature that Wizarding Britain has. He thought werewolves were all blood-thirsty savages, instead of seeing that almost no one chooses to be turned," Remus said. It was obviously something that weighed heavily on him.

She grabbed his hand and gave it a tight squeeze. "I promise you that I will do everything I can to get the harmful legislation repealed," she pledged to her friend. "And I will prove to the whole Wizarding World, that werewolves are just like everyone else, except for one night out of the month."

Hermione was determined. Of course, the cause was a little closer to her heart _now_ , but she would have done it anyway. She was determined to give Remus, Fenrir, and herself, a better life than what they had now.

* * *

Striding into the Ministry of Magic, Hermione walked with the kind of purpose that could only come from someone who had a meeting with the Minister himself. Of course, even though Hermione and Kingsley Shacklebolt knew each other on a personal level, it didn't make her intended purpose any easier.

Hermione didn't _expect_ to just be handed a job. She wanted to work hard for one, and earn her spot in the Wizarding World, and that's why she'd worked so hard on her schooling her whole life. She was going to take the NEWTs in just a few short weeks, and she hoped that she lived up to the expectations that had been put on her, to finally prove that she _was_ the brightest witch of her age.

She knew Kingsley wanted her to take a position in the Auror Academy, like Harry and Ron intended to do. But, she was tired of fighting, and it had always been her intention to fight for the rights of magical creatures and beings, and others who didn't have full rights, like muggleborn witches and wizards.

Once she was seated across from Kingsley, and they could no longer chit chat about the weather, he finally steepled his fingers and looked at her curiously. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Miss Granger?" he asked in that booming voice of his. Kingsley had always seemed larger than life to her — when they first met in her fifth year when the Order of the Phoenix convened at Grimmauld Place, to right now at this moment.

"I wanted to tell you that I intend to find work in the Care and Regulation of Magical Creatures Department," Hermione said bluntly. "During the previous... _administration_ , a lot of laws detrimental to werewolves were passed, and I intend to get them overturned," she said, her jaw jutting out confidently, though inside she felt anything but.

Kingsley gave her a warm smile. "I am sure that Remus will appreciate that, Hermione, but don't you think that job might be better suited to someone who is a werewolf? Don't you think you can make more of an impact in the Auror Department?"

She cleared her throat, and looked down in her lap. "That's just the thing...it's my intention to...become a werewolf, at the next full moon," she said, snapping her eyes shut, not wanting to see the inevitable blow up that the Minister was sure to have. But, instead, her ears were just met with silence, and none of the creative swears that she'd come to except from the man.

Cautiously, she looked up at him, biting her lip nervously. He was looking at her in complete shock and confusion. "What do you mean you intend to become a werewolf? Hermione, that is taking it _much too far_. Nobody _wants_ to become a werewolf in the first place. How did you even get Remus to agree to it?" She could see his brain still whirring with all the questions he had just fired out.

Hermione was surprised that he even thought she could get Remus to agree to it. She hadn't even considered the possibility that her words could be misconstrued so. "It's not Remus," she said, swallowing thickly. "I recently learned that I have a mate. A werewolf mate. And we've begun the process, to be completed during the full moon."

Kingsley immediately looked concerned. "Hermione, are you being coerced? Made to feel like you must do this? Because you would have the full support of the Ministry, should you ask for it."

It was in moments like this that Hermione was so glad to have friends like Kingsley, willing to go to extreme lengths to make sure she was protected. Still, she remembered her conversation with Remus that morning. Was the whole process happening faster than she would like? Yes, but it wasn't something that she was resisting. At least not anymore. "I am not being coerced, Kings. This is my decision," she told him, with a small smile.

"Just who is your mate, Hermione, if it's not Remus?" Kinglsey asked, in curiosity. "I wasn't aware that we knew any other werewolves, but you must have come into contact with one, if they identified you as theirs."

This was when her cheeks turned bright pink. It was one thing to tell Kingsley that she was going to be mated to a werewolf, but it was another to tell him that it was a wanted criminal. "Fenrir Greyback," she said quietly.

This time, Kingsley really did explode in a shower of expletives. "Hermione, are you sure you are safe?" he asked, once he'd calmed down a bit.

"Yes, Remus is helping me," Hermione said quietly. "Harry supports me as well."

"Well, I suppose if Remus is...assisting, then I should have no reason to worry," Kingsley bit out, clearly on edge. Hermione got the feeling that he would be worrying, quite a bit. She just hoped he didn't try to do anything rash, anything that would hurt her mate in her name.

"So, do you think I will have any trouble getting that job?" Hermione asked, nervously. "I wasn't sure if it would be considered a conflict of interest."

Kingsley ran a hand down his face, before shaking his head. "No, so long as you don't work on any changes that would benefit Greyback solely, you should be fine," he revealed. Glad that she didn't have to make any changes to her career plans, Hermione stood and wished Kingsley a good day. He gave her one last stricken look, before wishing her good luck. "I hope you know what you are doing, Hermione. I can't say I support it, but I trust you to make good decisions. Good luck."


	10. Chapter 10

Hermione had kept her word with Fenrir and sent him an owl midweek. They agreed that they would have a muggle date on Friday, and perform the second ceremony on Saturday. Fenrir had written her back, and she found that he was surprisingly eloquent with his words. He was _very_ disappointed in the way that she'd left him Sunday morning, and wrote in quite detailed language about all the lazy Sundays that they would have together in the future.

Some of it had gotten quite explicit, but Hermione couldn't stop herself from reading, even if her cheeks were blazing red at the same time. She wasn't sure _how_ she felt about it, but she could identify at least that she was feeling...anticipatory.

She'd been very nervous about this date, because it was when she intended to introduce Fenrir to Harry and Ron and her parents. She'd arranged for the six of them to go bowling near her parents home. Hermione knew that it wasn't going to be romantic like the first one, but she really wanted her parents approval, even if there was _no way_ she was going to explain to them what mating was, or that she intended to do it. There were a lot of things that her parents did not like about magic, especially after she'd sent them to Australia, and this would be one of them. She didn't want to damage their relationship more than it already was.

It had taken a lot of work with Harry, but the pair of them had finally gotten Ron to agree to keep his mouth shut about the particulars of the relationship, just when it came to her parents. She hoped that he would behave himself in front of Fenrir, but if not, she had some pretty good blackmail on him, involving the kitchen table and a Hufflepuff witch after the war was over.

Still, she'd asked Fenrir to come over to Grimmauld Place before the actual date so that she could explain about her parents. Remus had obviously helped him dress again, as this time he wore his muggle jeans again — freshly cleaned — and a grey sweater. It looked nice on him, but did absolutely nothing to hide the muscular bulk beneath the fabric. Hermione bit her lower lip, looking at him, wondering if her parents would be able to tell that there was something _unnatural_ about him. It was obvious that he absolutely exuded power.

"Little mate, you tempt me when you bite your lip," Fenrir said, pressing his hands against her shoulders. "It makes me wish I was the one doing it." His voice was a gravelly rumble, which sent memories of their night in the forest together.

Shaking her head, Hermione knew she had to get a hold of the situation before things got out of hand. "Before we go on the date, I need to tell you some things about my parents," Hermione told him, moving him towards the couch. He pressed himself as close as possible to her. "I am not going to try to explain the whole...mating thing to them. They are muggles and they just won't understand it. We are just going to tell them you are my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend," Fenrir said, feeling the unusual word on his tongue. "But you are my mate," he said, eyebrows together. He had a hard enough time with the fact that Hermione was resistant to being his mate, the idea that her parents would be too was a bit mind boggling. Shouldn't they be happy that she would be well settled with someone who could take care of her?

"Yes, and they don't need to know that it's permanent," Hermione said, resting her hand on his arm, wanting him to know that she wasn't trying to hurt him with her words. "They would see mating as my choice being taken away, and they are...very sensitive to that right now."

When his mate looked away, he could tell it was something that personally bothered her. Using his hand to tilt her chin up to look at him, he immediately noticed the worry in her captivating brown eyes. "Why is that?"

She nibbled at her lower lip again. "Because, during the war, I...modified their memories and sent them to Australia without asking. I was just trying to keep them safe." She looked so sad about it. "I got them back, and they were happy to be home, but...it's just a touchy topic in our house still."

Fenrir thought that it was rather noble of her, but then again, she had been a Gryffindor. "I understand. You may tell them that I am your boyfriend," he said, only to see her scrunch her nose, as the sentence seemed to suggest he was giving her _permission_. He barely could contain a laugh, loving his feisty little mate's attitude.

They could put the inevitable off no longer, and so Hermione and Harry sidealonged Fenrir and Ron, respectively, to her childhood home. Harry had gone with her when she was helping them get resettled after their...vacation, as they called it, so he was very familiar with her home.

As soon as they arrived, Hermione could tell that her parents were on edge. Her father, who was a tall man himself, seemed surprised at the sheer size of Fenrir, especially compared to his little girl, but still offered his hand in greeting anyway. "I'm Greg and this is my wife Jean."

"Pleased to meet you," Fenrir said, giving them a winning smile. "I am Fenrir, Hermione's boyfriend."

"That's an unusual name," Hermione's mother said curiosity on her face. "Hermione told us she'd be bringing a boyfriend, but I'll admit that we haven't really heard much about you at all." Fenrir wasn't sure if he was meant to take offense at the statement, but he decided to let it roll, since he wanted to make a good impression on his mate's parents.

"Mum, dad, you remember Harry and Ron," Hermione waved to her two friends, and Fenrir watched with a bit of annoyance as her parents seemed much more friendly with the other two males. Perhaps it was because they didn't see them as potential sexual partners for their daughter? Once introductions were completed, Hermione and Fenrir decided to apparate to the park nearby the bowling alley, while the rest of them would pile in the car.

Hermione took the time on the short walk over to compliment Fenrir on his behavior so far. "I am sorry that my mum was so nosy. And my dad...ugh, of course he would see a handshake as some kind of power struggle." Fenrir promised her that it was no trouble at all to him, seeing as he had much stronger bones than your average muggle, even if he'd noticed that Greg's handshake was a little _firm_.

Hermione and Fenrir went inside the bowling alley then and sorted out getting shoes and drinks. Hermione had to help him with his shoe size, seeing as he wasn't entirely familiar with the concept, but he did enjoy seeing her on her knees in front of him. It took everything in his power to stop himself from behaving inappropriately with her in public, but he just barely restrained himself. Once they were sorted, and Fenrir had helped himself to more of the beer, Hermione quietly sat with him and whispered the directions of the game to him, while they waited for the others to show up. It wasn't too much longer, but when they did the ginger and Hermione's father didn't look too pleased to see her with her lips nearly touching his ear, while his eyes were practically half glazed over in lust.

His mate decided to go first, to show him how to throw the ball down the lane, and he thought she was precious. She was...not very good at the game, as she told him the objective of the game was to hit the tiny pins at the end of the lane, but her first ball went straight into the gutter! He tried after her, only he was much better. It wasn't too hard, he thought, just throw the ball as hard as you can, and all the pins would come smashing down.

Hermione had congratulated him on his first attempt with a hug and a kiss on the cheek. He couldn't stop him groan that time, seeing as it was _such_ a tease now that he knew how her lips felt on his. He also couldn't stop from thinking how her lips would feel on other parts of his body too.

Settling in, he waited for his turn to go, and decided to cautiously talk to Potter. Of her two friends, it seemed as though the boy-who-lived-twice was much more receptive to him. He asked about Potter's intentions — if he was going back to school or just relaxing for a while. Learning that Potter was going to be an auror made Fenrir nervous, but the boy obviously understood his fear. Potter clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about your whereabouts."

Meanwhile, Hermione had been pulled aside by her mother, who wanted to get all the details on this mysterious boyfriend. They were watching her father trying to teach Ron the proper mechanics of a bowling approach. "You know, Hermione, your father and I always thought you were going to end up with this Ron. Your father really likes him."

Hermione, immediately on the defensive, crossed her arms. "Well, dad is welcome to date Ron if he wants to, but I am _very_ happy with Fenrir." It was nice for her to see Harry giving it a real effort and chatting with her future mate. It gave her hope for a brighter future.

"Well, I suppose he _is_ good to look at," her mother conceded. "Nice teeth too. But he doesn't really seem like your type Hermione. We just want to make sure that you are...making good decisions."

She rolled her eyes. Of course her dentist mother would comment on the state of Fenrir's teeth. "Don't worry, I know Fenrir isn't the usual type I would see myself with, but I am very glad that I took a chance on him. We get along smashingly."

"How did the pair of you even meet?" Jean queried her.

Hermione wasn't entirely sure how to explain this. She couldn't very well tell her parents the truth. Nibbling on her lower lip, she came up with an explanation. "We were introduced by a mutual friend. You remember Remus?"

"Oh, of course," Jean said, remembering the Professor turned friend that her daughter wrote about so frequently. "And that explains the age difference."

"Age difference?" Hermione asked confused.

"Well, he is quite a bit older than you, isn't he? It's a little bit unseemly Hermione," her mother said with a sniff, that had Hermione bristling.

Of course Fenrir was a little bit older than her...actually, she wasn't entirely sure how old he even was, but it didn't matter to her. If you _loved_ someone, age was just a number, after all. Not that she loved Fenrir, but she didn't see why it should be a factor in her relationship. They were both consenting adults. Well, sort of consenting. "Wizards age much slower in the wizarding world. Many people live to be well over one hundred years old, so that's not really a factor to me," she said stiffly.

Jean pressed her hands on Hermione's shoulders, turning to make her daughter look her in the eyes. "Your father and I just want what's _best_ for you, Hermione. You must understand that this whole...relationship seems a bit sudden. We will always be here for you though."

Hermione hated the unspoken ending to that question that hung in the air...they would be there for her when she inevitably broke up with Fenrir. Well, it wasn't as if that was going to be possible, was it? "I can look out for myself, mum. You just have to trust me."

Her mum looked at her slowly, before giving her a quick nod. Hermione also hated that she had ever given them doubt to question her trust, but there was nothing to be done for it now, except work to repair it. Shaking her head, Hermione returned to the game, determined to have a good time, though Fenrir could tell that something was bothering her. He'd given her a squeeze of her hand and a questioning look when she returned to his side.

When the evening was over, Fenrir had just inched Hermione's dad out for the best score, which had left him dumbfounded. Owing to some lingering tension in the group, they all decided to go their separate ways. Hermione wished her parents goodbye, before walking Fenrir back to the park that they had come in on, to apparate back to Grimmauld Place.

He was surprised to see that they landed on the stairs of the townhouse, and Hermione seemed fidgety and nervous. Finally, she steeled herself and asked the question that was clearly on his mind. "Would you like to come in for a while?"

Fenrir felt his heart rate accelerate. Remus had told him that being invited in was a very good thing. It didn't necessarily mean sex, but it could. At the very least, he knew he could expect some intimacy. Nodding eagerly, he tried not to follow her too closely, unless she was put off by his behavior. He followed her to the library — noting that that seemed to be her favorite room in the house — and settled in on the couch next to her.

The silence seemed to stretch between them, and he was about to ask her what her mother had said to her to make her so upset, when she closed the gap between them to kiss him firmly on the lips. It wasn't like their usual kisses, no this was more animalistic. Hermione wasn't afraid to take what she wanted from him, letting her teeth catch his lower lip and slide her tongue against his in a sensual war. Part of his brain wanted to scold her for trying to take out her frustration through intimate actions, but the other part just wanted to shut up and go along for the ride.

She'd straddled his lap, and he hadn't been able to stop from cupping her arse in her muggle jeans, pulling her center firmly against his aching cock, grinding her against him. Her lips were everywhere, kissing down his neck. He wouldn't admit it, but that was a very sensitive area for him as well, and he got excited just thinking about her someday returning his mating mark. Her fingers slid up underneath the fabric of his sweater, her fingers tracing over the muscle and through his chest hair.

He pressed his own lips to her neck, needing to mark her somehow. He could suck against her sensitive pulse point and leave bright red bruises, show everyone that she was his. His teeth scraped against her skin, making her shudder against him.

Just as she was about to try and remove his sweater, Fenrir realized that this was quickly moving in a direction. Yes, he wanted his mate, wanted to be inside of her, _more than fucking anything_ , but she was upset right now, and not thinking clearly. He could wait one more week for her and then she would be his _forever_.

Pressing his hands on her shoulders, he pushed her away so he could look in her eyes. The sight of her made him hate this new moral side of him, when he saw her eyes, pupils blown wide in desire, her lips swollen and parted, the tops of her breasts peeking out from the top of her shirt. "Máni, witch, you have _no_ idea how much it pains me to say this, but...I should go. I don't want you to do something you will regret because you are upset."

She looked momentarily hurt, but he quickly saw her rational side bleed back into her eyes. She nodded stiffly, and stood up from his lap with a blush on her cheeks. He stood not long after, unembarrassed by the visible erection straining against his jeans, and helped her right her clothes.

Fenrir pressed one more lingering kiss against her lips, before promising to see her tomorrow for the next ceremony, and apparated away.


	11. Chapter 11

The only instruction that Hermione had received from Fenrir in regards to the second werewolf ceremony was that she should wear something she was comfortable moving about in. In fact, he'd suggested that she wear muggle jeans, though she wasn't sure if that was for practicality or because he liked the way that they clung to her legs and arse. In any case, she was annoyed that he wouldn't just tell her what was involved so that she could make her own clothing choices.

She'd been nervous for the actual ceremony, but all day on Saturday, she'd been excited to see him again. Hermione was glad that Fenrir had stopped her from going farther than she really would have wanted to the night before, but she couldn't deny how much she'd enjoyed their amorous attentions. She'd grown completely conflicted about the mating that would take place the following week. On the one hand she was annoyed that her choice in _choosing_ her life's partner was taken away, but at the same time she was excited about the partner that she got.

Remus's words had really opened her eyes to her feelings for Fenrir, and she was ready to fully embrace the relationship. She was excited for all the possibilities of a new life with Fenrir would bring. It had been so touching for her to see the progress that he'd made on her little house, and seeing him with Teddy made her know that he would make a wonderful father. Plus all the changes he'd made for her made her know that he was willing to put in the time to make the relationship work.

Finding Remus waiting for her in the parlor, she offered him an arm so that he could assist her to the ceremony. It was always nice to know that she had a familiar face waiting for her during the ceremonies, to assist her if she needed anything.

Fenrir popped up from his seat around a recently built bonfire as soon as they appeared in view. He was bare chested as usual, but it was stirring up all kinds of bodily reactions in Hermione that she wasn't expecting. She squeezed her legs together to stave off the ache.

When he reached her side, Fenrir wrapped her in a hug, pressing a deep kiss against her lips, only to pull away with a smirk. He leaned down so that he could whisper into her ear, his lips teasing her skin. "I can hear your body calling for me, little mate."

His whisper did little to ease the anticipation that she was clearly feeling, and warmth bloomed on her cheeks. Pulling away, she gave him a shy smile. "Perhaps you can tell me what the ceremony is, so that we can complete that. Maybe then, you can make my body sing." She knew that it was rather bold, but this man was to be her's for the rest of her life and she refused to be embarrassed.

The way that Fenrir's eyebrows shot into his hairline suggested that he had not been expecting her suggestive words, but that he was more than pleased to hear them. "So eager." He gave her a seductive grin, before wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Well, mate, last time I showed you how I could provide for you and our future pups. This time, you will need to show that you can provide for me."

"Provide for you? Or for the whole pack?" Hermione asked confused, looking to Remus for further explanation. "Like, bring you food?"

Fenrir nodded. "Yes, in a way. Really, you are meant to hunt for me. Bring me any kind of animal, but you don't have to bother preparing it. And, you only need to catch enough for me. The whole pack would take you days to provide for."

Hermione didn't think that it made it sound any easier. Of course, when she was on the run with Harry and Ron, they had had to do _some_ hunting in order to survive, but that didn't mean that she liked or enjoyed it. But, she had her trusty wand, and she was sure she could find a rabbit like always, if she just tried hard enough. Taking out her wand, Hermione gave Fenrir a prepared look. "Alright, I will just start looking now."

Her mate gave her a broad smile, before plucking the wand out of her hand. "I am very sorry, Hermione, but this ceremony must be done without the aid of magic. I caught your deer with my bare hands, and skinned it and roasted it."

It was a fair explanation, but it certainly made her task much much harder. She looked at her vinewood wand in his hands, helplessly. "Don't worry, little mate. Remus will look after your wand for you. And if it takes you too long, I will come and look for you." Giving her a little pat on the behind, he steered her in the direction of the forest. "Off you go now."

Hermione stood for just a moment, nibbling her lower lip, before trudging off in the direction of the forest. This was definitely going to be difficult, but then she thought of all the sacrifices that Fenrir had made for her during their month of courtship, and she knew that she would do this for _him_.

Once she was out of sight, Fenrir turned to Remus, who had pocketed Hermione's wand for safekeeping. "You didn't bring your pup this time Lupin?" he asked, surprised. "I know some of the women were eager to see little Teddy again." It had been too long since his pack had been blessed with children, considering the war was deemed too dangerous to bring pups into.

"Ah, no Teddy is with his grandmother this evening," Remus said, happy that Andromeda was feeling up to watching the little tyke for the evening. He knew that she had been so heartbroken to lose Nymphadora and Ted so close together, so it could sometimes be too much for the older woman to handle. "Do you really think Hermione will be able to handle this task?"

Fenrir smiled proudly. "Yes, I know that my mate can accomplish anything she sets her mind to. It might be unpleasant for her, but she will do it anyway. Come, let's go by the fire to wait." In truth, Fenrir did know that Hermione would be able to provide for him and any children that they had. It was a bit cruel to direct her to do it without a wand, but that was just the way that it had to be.

He was most eager for her to get back. Of course, he wanted to further their sexual relationship, as the night prior had certainly gotten his blood up, and then her continued promises and scent had done _nothing_ to cool his ardor. But, he had another reason for his excitement. Since noticing how much Hermione seemed to love the library, he'd spent the entire day crafting one of the rooms in her — _their_ — new house to be the library. It had taken some time, but he was able to craft shelves from ceiling to floor on one wall, and he was very excited to show it to her. But, he knew that it would have to wait until after she came back with her offering.

It would be a sufficient reward for all of the work she had to do out in the forest, hunting with her diminished senses. He couldn't wait until she was finally turned and she saw how much she was missing out on sight, sound and scent alone.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hermione had slowly made her way away from the rest of the werewolf pack. She didn't even want to attempt to hunt anywhere someone in her new "family" might stumble upon her, because she really couldn't think of anything more embarrassing than failing at providing for Fenrir. She made a good note of where everything was, so that she would be able to get back easily.

Hermione remembered some research that she'd read recently that ancient humans used to run down their prey until their hearts basically gave out. She decided that she would go to that approach, because she didn't think that she could catch a small animal on her own. She just wouldn't be quick enough.

It didn't take long for her to spot a rabbit, and she took off after it, not giving it a moment to rest. She raced and raced after the small animal, brushing off branches and leaves that tried to hold her back from her quarry. The rabbit brought her seemingly all over the forest, without hinting at slowing down, and Hermione wondered when she got so out of shape. She didn't think that she was going to be able to make this happen.

Just when she was about to give up, though, she came across a stream. She thought back to her very first date with Fenrir and how he told her that one of his favorite foods growing up had been fish, seeing as his mother always made it. Hermione figured catching a fish would be much more meaningful and a bit easier than chasing down the rabbit.

Picking up a rock, she held it over the stream, waiting for a fish to come by. It seemed that this was a trout stream, and Hermione almost couldn't believe her luck. Watching them swim by, she would wait to try and time it right so that the rock would be able to hit the fish. When she thought she had it down, she dropped the rock. "Damn," she muttered under her breath, when the huge splash yielded no kill.

She tried again, and again, and again, and just when she was about to give up, she tried one last time. Dropping the rock, Hermione let out a squeal of triumph when she managed to actually trap a fish. "I can't believe I did it!" she cheered to herself.

Reaching into the water delicately, she wrapped her hand around the fish, trying not to think about the sensation of it in her hand. Really, it was quite a big fish, too. Hermione was almost proud to show it off to her mate to be. Deciding that she really wanted this trout out of her hand, Hermione began to jog back to camp. The sooner that she gave him the fish, the sooner she could enjoy herself.

It didn't take long for Hermione to pick up the noises of the pack and see the bonfire blazing in the rapidly cooling evening air. She slowed her jog, and walked slowly, triumphantly, over to where she figured Fenrir would be.

But then — she gasped.

Fenrir was sitting with two pretty women, one arm wrapped around each of them, pulling them close to his body. She could just barely see his large hands, dangerously high on their waists, as if edging up to touch their breasts. She felt her heart leap to her throat, tears form in her eyes. How could he do this to her, after he'd promised her so much? After all that they'd been through together? She began to think of all of the sacrifices she'd made to make _his_ life easier. Tying herself to him after only one month, doing these stupid mating ceremonies, consenting to becoming a fucking werewolf. Her ire began to bubble up inside of her, seeing the trio of them laughing together.

She couldn't stay here after this. She needed to get out immediately. Looking at the fish, she threw it as hard as she could, watching it land in Fenrir's lap. He looked up at her in surprise, and she knew that he'd seen just how much he'd hurt her.

Not waiting for him to try and convince her otherwise, Hermione marched off in search of her wand. She found Remus, talking to a pretty woman as well, and barely concealed a snarl when she tapped him on the shoulder. "Remus, give me my wand," she commanded cooly.

Remus immediately looked concerned, taking in her disheveled and distraught face. Confusion was evident in his own features, while he pressed a hand to her arm in concern. "Hermione? What is it? What happened?" he asked.

Hermione turned to look and saw Fenrir heading their way. She needed to get out of here _now_. "Remus, just give me my fucking wand!" she shouted, completely heartbroken and unwilling to speak to her so-called mate at this moment.

Her friend was completely surprised by her outburst, and quickly gave her the bit of wood that meant her freedom. As soon as it was in her hand, she apparated away to Grimmauld Place.


	12. Chapter 12

As soon as Hermione apparated back within the safety of Grimmauld Place, she found her carefully held control beginning to snap. She was glad that Fenrir couldn't just apparate in here, as they had never changed the wards to let him in on his own. She was positive that seeing the state that she'd been in, Remus wasn't about to let her volatile mate back to see her. Although he was partially compelled by the vow that he'd taken, he wasn't going to break her trust like that.

She let out a deep shuddering breath, trying to keep ahold of her fraying emotions, but she couldn't stop the great gasping sob that left her body. She turned around, only to come face to face with Ron and _Susan Bones?_ They were both looking at her with wide, concerned eyes. "Oh, I am sorry, I didn't realize you had company, Ron. I will just go upstairs." She desperately wanted to play it off that she was fine, but the tears were already streaking down her cheeks, and unfortunately, there was nothing really to be done.

"Hermione?" Ron asked, cautiously. "Are you alright? You've got all sorts of leaves and twigs in your hair."

She wanted to laugh, knowing that her friend always pointed out the obvious, but it came out as a bit of a half strangled sob. She was sure that she looked an absolute mess, maybe even a bit crazy, if she was honest. "I'm fine, really. I will just go to my room. You two keep enjoying your evening." She was embarrassed that she'd interrupted what was undoubtedly a date.

Ron shook his head, his face turning a bit pink. "No, you aren't alright." He turned to press a sweet kiss to Susan's face, which made Hermione's heart warm. She was glad that he was looking to find happiness with a witch, especially since their own relationship never got off the ground. "Sorry, Susan, we will have to cut this short. I'll owl you?" He ushered the auburn haired girl in the direction of the floo and bid her goodnight, seeing her out of Grimmauld.

Hermione was so happy to know that Ronald cared about her friendship so much, that her friendship meant so much to him, that he was willing to break up what was certain to be a very good evening to deal with _her_ issues. Before she knew it, he was leading her back towards the couch, an arm around her shoulders. Wrapped in his friendly embrace, Hermione let herself cry fully. It was surprisingly soothing, having Ron pat on her back gently, letting her burn off some of the raw emotion that she was feeling.

She quickly got a handle on her tears, and she was able to get herself to stop, though her mind was still focusing on all the pain of seeing Fenrir with those two women. Smiling at her friend, she tried to make light of the situation. "I thought you were meant to have the emotional range of a teaspoon."

Ron gave her a crooked smile at her joke. "Yeah, well, when I know that you are _just_ my friend, it makes it a little bit easier to deal with the emotions. We don't have any...tension clouding it up." Much like Harry, it seemed that Ron had also matured far more than she'd given him credit for. He pulled back, so that he could look at her face, and began picking at her hair. "Now, are you going to tell me what happened? It looks like you were hunting."

Hermione's breath hitched instantly as she was reminded of what she had been doing. She knew that she wasn't really supposed to discuss the ceremonies with _outsiders_ but she really needed to talk to someone right now. "This ceremony dictated that I needed to provide for Fenrir, by hunting. I tried to catch a rabbit, but in the end I smashed a rock on a fish," she said lamely.

"Wicked," Ron said with a grin, using his thumbs to gently wipe away the tears on her cheeks. "But that doesn't explain why you came back crying. Did they want you to eat it raw or something?"

Hermione shook her head. "I was out in the forest, and I was so pleased to bring Fenrir back my prize, but when I got back...he had his arms wrapped around two women, holding them really close and...well his hands weren't really in a proper place." She blushed at the statement, unable to tell him what he thought.

"What, on their arses?" Ron asked, without much tact at all. Hermione was a bit surprised that he wasn't blowing up at hearing that her mate was getting handsy with not one other woman, but two.

"No, more like here." Hermione indicated on her own body.

Ron winced. "I dunno, Hermione. You know that I hate that you are throwing your life away on a bastard like Fenrir Greyback, but maybe you just read the situation wrong. I have definitely accidentally had my hand up too high on _your_ waist before. Believe me when I say it's not always intentional. Some guys just aren't a good judge of distance. What did he say when you confronted him about it?" he asked.

Hermione looked at her lap, biting her lower lip. "I um...I just threw the fish at him and then I ran back here, actually." She could feel tears form in her eyes again, and a tremble form in her throat. She was just so upset. "I just...I feel like I've done so much, I've sacrificed so much, to have him act like that in front of me, it just makes me so mad."

Ron gave her a little smile. "Don't get me wrong, Hermione, I think you _are_ sacrificing a lot, but it seems as if Greyback has been sacrificing a lot too. I never thought I'd see that brute all dressed and cleaned up in a _muggle bowling alley_. And he had to deal with all the little mean things your parents said about him and his age."

"You noticed that too?"

Ron nodded. "And, well, I just don't think that you'd be so worked up about this if you didn't really care for the guy. It's just, the pair of you seemed so happy the other night." He looked down at his own lap, eyebrows drawn together in concentration. "It seemed like _he_ made you really happy."

Hermione felt her heart stop at his words. It was true that her feelings for Fenrir had grown exponentially, and they were almost all positive. She thought about all the things that he had done to make her feel comfortable, and the way that he treated her. She thought about how his kisses made her dizzy with desire, and how his possessive streak gave her a secret thrill. She couldn't pretend that she _didn't_ feel a certain possessiveness about him as well.

And she couldn't feel possessive about him unless...she thought of him as her's. "I think that I might love him," she murmured quietly to herself, only just realizing it. She looked up at Ron, helpless to her discovery. She never would have expected this.

Her red haired friend didn't look surprised in the slightest, which was oddly comforting to Hermione. "Well, then, I think you owe it to him to at least hear him out on the situation. He probably doesn't know what the fuck he did wrong, and you just threw a bloody fish at him and then apparated away. I bet he's going crazy!"

Hermione couldn't help but laugh at the idea. It was true that her exit had been a _little_ dramatic. But, her realization didn't stop the pain of seeing him with those two women. Until she got a good explanation for it, she wasn't going to forgive him. It still hurt too much. "I think I might let him stew a bit longer...think about what he did."

"Fair enough," Ron agreed. "But don't make him wait too long, alright? I mean, the full moon is only a few days away, and I know you won't want to go into such a big decision if you are still mad at him."

Hermione wrapped her arms around her friend, glad that she had someone in her life. Of course, Ron had a lot of rough edges, and more often than not he completely put his foot into it, but she couldn't deny that he'd been there when she needed him, and really gave pretty good advice. "Thank you," she murmured into his chest, before standing up.

She was going to think on Ron's words, about what had happened, in her room, where she wouldn't be disturbed. She was all dirty, too, so she figured that a nice relaxing bath was in order. Waving her wand at the door of her bedroom, she warded everyone out, so she wouldn't be disturbed, before settling into the warm bubbly water.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione was awoken to pounding on her bedroom door. She'd fallen asleep and was plagued with dreams of Fenrir and his kisses. It made her a bit annoyed to have such pleasant dreams of the werewolf, when she just wanted to be mad at him. He hadn't even apologized after all!

The pounding continued. "Hermione, you can't just keep hiding in here all day. We need to talk about what happened last night." It was Remus, then.

Sighing, she lowered the wards, letting him know that it was alright to come in. He opened the door immediately, Teddy on his hip, and looking as though he'd gotten absolutely no sleep. "Remus? What happened to you?" she asked, sitting up in bed.

"Oh, I just spent the whole night explaining to an irate werewolf about why you'd left like that, and why I wouldn't take him to you," he said. Remus was just a bit on edge, but Teddy just seemed to find it funny, turning his hair to match Remus's color. "Which, I am not even certain what happened, but I imagine it had something to do with Tabitha and Katrina."

Hermione immediately scowled, but nodded. "I just...I realize that I might have overreacted a little bit," Hermione said to Remus. "It was just that I had done all that work to get Fenrir a bloody fish, and then I come back to see him all over two women! It was like something in me just snapped." Remus gave her a pointed look, which she waved off. "I know, I know, Ron already told me I was being jealous...and that I need to listen to Fenrir's side of the story."

Remus's jaw snapped shut, as though he was just about to argue with her about all the reasons of why she should give Fenrir another chance. Really, it was a positive sign if Remus was willing to _defend_ Fenrir's behavior. There was likely more there to the situation than she realized. "Really? Ron told you all that?"

She rolled her eyes, hating the idea that she was some kind of unreasonable person who couldn't face an emotional issue with logic. "Yes, he did, but I am still a bit miffed about it. I don't know if I am ready to see Fenrir yet." It was true that she had more than likely embarrassed herself, and she didn't want to have to tell Fenrir that she'd been wrong, or that she'd automatically assumed the worst of him. But _really_ , what was she to expect, with his hands so high on their sides?

Remus winced at her pronouncement. "Now, Hermione, I don't want to tell you what to do, but Fenrir is...quite frankly, frantic. I've never seen him this way, ever, and we were once enemies. _Please_ , don't make him wait too long."

Hermione sighed. "Oh, alright, you can tell him that I will meet him in the clearing today. But, let me cuddle Teddy while you are away, and then when you get back, I will be ready to go." She held out her arms for the little boy.

The werewolf seemed to melt in relief at her words, and happily handed over the little boy to her. "Alright, I won't be long," he promised.

The tiny baby liked cuddling with her in her big bed with fluffy pillows and soft duvet. Really, Hermione felt bad that she hadn't been able to spend as much time with Teddy in the past few weeks, as she had immediately after the war. She was happy to have some time just the two of them.

Of course, Teddy would _never_ accuse her of overreacting. "You would have been mad, too, Teddy, if you saw your love wrapped around someone else, wouldn't you?" she asked the giggling baby, before moving to make herself more presentable for her chat with Fenrir.


	13. Chapter 13

Hermione could hear Fenrir whining low in his throat, almost like a naughty puppy, the moment Remus apparated her into the clearing where the pack had been set up. She could see the tension in all of his body, muscle bunching with unspent energy, just waiting for him to snap and _move_.

Remus put himself between the pair of them, ignoring Fenrir's low growls at being separated from his mate. "Are you two going to be okay together? You aren't going to kill one another?" He looked pointedly at Hermione, knowing that she had been quite upset the night before.

She gave him a stiff nod, knowing that this was something she and Fenrir needed to work through together, and having Remus there, while comforting, wouldn't allow them to put in the work themselves. If they were going to be a couple, this was something that they were going to have to learn without a mediator there. "I'm fine Remus. I will see you back to Grimmauld a bit later," she assured him.

Giving her one last serious look, Remus nodded before apparating away.

The space between them was instantly filled by Fenrir, stepping up the her and wrapping his arms around her body, pressing his body against her. "Mate," he whined, pressing his face into the crook of her neck, before apparating them away.

Hermione gasped, surprised by how good it felt for Fenrir to hold her so tightly in his arms. At the same time she was completely confused by their surroundings, as it was a room that she'd never seen before. "Where are we?" she asked, a bit annoyed that she could ask such a simple question when she was supposed to be mad at him.

"Your home," he rasped out, his hands moving up and down her body, as though checking her over for an injuries. She was amazed that this is where she will be living, and that he has accomplished so much in so little time. It is amazing. "Couldn't let my pack see their alpha get chewed out."

All of her amazement with the home is doused in cold water at his words when she remembered that she was mad at him. Pushing away from his chest to look up at his blue eyes, Hermione took a fortifying breath. "We need to talk."

"Please tell me what I did mate, to make you look at me with such _hatred_ in your eyes," he whined low in his throat. It was odd, Hermione thought, that her feelings could create such a physical reaction in such a strong man. It was as if Fenrir was in physical pain when he thought that she was upset with him.

She remembered the way she felt when she saw him just the day before, all cuddled up...that had been a physical ache as well, in her heart. "What were you doing with those two women?" she finally asked, feeling the words leave a bitter taste in her mouth. "How could you just sit there, letting them drape themselves all over you, while I worked my arse off in the forest, trying to fulfil _your_ stupid custom?"

Fenrir's face was dumbfounded for a while, before the realization seemed to sink into his head. "The women were not draped over me, mate. Tabitha and Katrina are old friends, nearly sisters. I was laughing with them in the same way that Potter or Weasley might hold you."

Hermione blushed, remembering that Ron had said the same thing when she had cried on his shoulder for comfort. "That's not what it looked like. Your hands were near their breasts," she argued

He had a physical reaction of disgust, as though the thought of touching either of the women's breasts was abhorrent to him. She couldn't deny that this made her feel a bit better. "I promise mate, that that was not in the intention. It would be impossible for me to desire another when I have you, mate."

She nibbled her lower lip, remembering the pain she felt when he saw them, questioning what she saw. Perhaps it was like what Ron said, but she wasn't sure. "I don't know..." she trailed off.

"Look in my mind with your magic, give me veritaserum. I will do anything to prove to you that I am telling the truth," Fenrir said, his eyes a bit wild at the idea that she might not believe him. "I have not touched another woman since _you_ called to me so many years ago, in the Forbidden Forest, when I learned that I had a mate."

Hermione was surprised to learn this, especially as they had never really talked about how he learned that she was his mate. But, she remembered that night, when they were trying to get away from Remus, and the _anticipation_ she'd felt when she'd howled, her whole body singing with power. To hear that such a virile man had been celibate for such a long period was surprising. "Really?"

"Yes, I swear to you mate, I wasn't cuddling up with them," Fenrir said, relaxing when he realized that she was beginning to see his point of view. "Between you and me, Tabitha and Katrina are quite smitten with Lupin."

His words were so earnest, that Hermione couldn't help but believe him. She knew in her heart that he was telling the truth. "I am sorry for storming out on you. I know that it must have caused you a lot of...discomfort."

Fenrir pulled her to him, stepping back until they were resting on a conjured couch, with her wrapped up in his lap. "I am sorry for giving you reason to question my faithfulness." He looked at her so seriously, until finally, his mouth split into a wide grin. "Though, you have no idea how much it pleases me to know that my little mate gets so jealous. It let's me know that you are just as possessive of me as I am of you." He pressed his face into her shoulder again, nipping at the exposed skin, sending pleasurable shivers up her spine.

" _Please_ , you aren't ever jealous," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. He'd been very keen to stake his claim, though he never seemed bothered by the physical contact she had with _any_ of the males in her life.

He snorted in laughter. "Oh, mate, I am so very jealous. You have no idea how mad it drives me to have you smell like Lupin or Potter. I know it is simply because of your close quarters, but it does have me long for the full moon, when I can finally make you mine forever."

Hermione shuddered, going a bit stiff in his arms. It had been all well and wonderful to get swept up into this whirlwind romance with Fenrir, who was surprisingly — almost annoyingly, she could admit — suited to her. He made her heart beat a bit faster each time she saw him, and she couldn't deny that they were growing _together_. But...she couldn't pretend like they weren't hurtling towards the full moon in just a few more days, and it would change her life forever.

There was no going back. There was no getting sick of Fenrir, and running to Grimmauld Place to hide. There was no break up, no divorce, no magically turning back into a regular witch if something went wrong. And, it scared her beyond belief.

She nuzzled her own face into his shoulder, letting his soothing scent wash over her. Nibbling her lower lip, she knew that this was exactly the kind of thing that she needed to tell him, share with him, if they were going to make it as a couple. "I'm scared," she said quietly.

Fenrir wrapped his arms tighter around her, letting her body relax into his comfort. He would always be there to protect her. "Scared of what?" His voice rumbled in his chest. "Scared that I would not be faithful to you? Or...scared that you might want someone more than me someday?" It pained him to think that she might not trust him, or that she might be swayed by her human emotions rather than the werewolf instinct that guided him.

Hermione gasped, pulling back so that he could stare into her soft brown eyes. "No, it's not that. If anything this whole weekend has made me realize that...that I rather like you much more than I could have ever imagined." She bit her lower lip, until it was turning white at the edges of her teeth, and made Fenrir want to sooth the hurt with his tongue. "Made me realize that...I might just be...possibly...falling in love with you," she revealed finally.

His heart was beating so fast that he thought it might burst from the exertion. Never in one million years did he think his little mate would reveal such a thing to him so soon. Maybe sometime, many years down the line, after they had a few pups, he would be able to extract such an oath from her. But to hear that she felt the same as he did...he could barely stop the whoop of joy from leaving his throat.

Instead, he settled for pressing his lips against hers firmly, insistently pressing his tongue against her lips so that she might open up for him and embrace him, just as she had in her heart. She moaned when his tongue slipped against hers in a soft gesture of dominance, wriggling her sweet arse against the erection that was now straining desperately against the zipper of his jeans.

His fingers tangled in her glorious hair, and her chest heaved in excitement, but Fenrir knew that they needed to stop, while so much still hung between them. Pulling back, he couldn't help but smirk at the whine of disappointment that left his dazed mate's swollen lips. "Wait, Hermione. You were going to tell me what you were scared of?" he prompted gently, wanting to take away any of the pain or fears or worries that she might have.

Her cheeks flushed a bright red when she remembered what it was that they had been discussing before her declaration of love. "I...I am afraid of the full moon," she said, looking into her lap, as though she thought she might offend him. "Of becoming a werewolf." Unbidden, tears came to her eyes once again.

Fenrir sighed deeply, thinking on her words. Of course she would be frightened of the change, he thought. Many people never got the _choice_ , never knew that they were going to be turned, and he could still remember the agony and the fear that filled his tiny body when he'd been bitten all those years ago. All the scorn and fear from his parents, even though he was only a child. Running his fingers through her hair, he longed to comfort his mate. "I know that it is frightening to imagine the change, but I will be there, helping you along the whole time."

"But isn't it terribly painful?" she turned to him, apparently full of questions that she'd been holding in all along. "Remus always looks so tired and ragged after."

He gave her a gentle smile. "It is much easier when you have someone to guide you. The first change will be painful, yes, but it gets easier and easier with each change, until it isn't painful at all. Lupin has always fought the change, fought his nature, and that is why he loses so much energy. Do you trust me?" he asked.

Hermione stared into his bright blue eyes and thought over his words. It was so strange, she was sure that if you'd asked her a month ago she would have laughed herself silly at the idea that she could ever trust anything the werewolf did. But, at the same time, she knew that she had grown to trust him. Sure, sometimes she had to do uncomfortable or unpleasant things at his insistence — the memory of the fish weighed heavy in her mind — but she couldn't deny that she'd always been kept safe by him, even when she was back at Hogwarts and didn't know Fenrir Greyback was her mate. "Yes," she said, confidently.

"Then please trust me, Hermione, when I say that I will help you with the change, and in a year, you will be amazed that you ever lived not as werewolf." His voice had a pleading edge to it, and Hermione grinned, imagining the tall, powerful man begging for _anything_.

"Okay. I will trust you," she told him, knowing that he had her best interests at heart. Wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders, she wanted nothing more now than to melt into his embrace, and kiss him until her head was spinning. When she moved to press her lips to his, she couldn't help her gasp when he turned his head away.

"Believe me, mate, there is nothing I wouldn't like more than to throw you down onto this couch and kiss you while your sweet body cradles me, but there is something I need to show you first." He stood from the couch, his hands on her waist to keep her from wobbling. "I have been imagining showing you around this house all week. Please, won't you let me show you what I've built for you?"

She whined a bit in disappointment, wanting to tell him that the house would still be there after they made out for a while, but seeing how proud he was of himself, she nodded. "Oh, alright."

He took her hand, leading her towards the door. Turning to face her, he gave her a broad grin. "Shall we start with the library?"

Hermione's ears perked up at that. "Library?" she asked in genuine surprise, that Fenrir would know her so well to give her the room that she would most likely love the most. She was salivating over the idea of having one all to herself.


	14. Chapter 14

Before she knew it, Friday had come and it was the day before the full moon, meaning that her relationship with Fenrir would be forever cemented and she would be a werewolf. It still felt crazy that she was making this decision, but she couldn't deny that it felt right to her. There was something about Fenrir that had morphed into comforting and reassuring, and at this point she didn't care if it was magical influence or not.

But, before their werewolf bonding ceremony, they had one more muggle date to go on. In the beginning, Hermione had said that she would plan all of their muggle dates, but Fenrir had been quite insistent that she let him plan this one. He promised that he would take care of everything, with Remus's help. He wouldn't even tell her what the dress code was, just that he would handle that too.

She hadn't known what to expect until Harry had showed up for her with a little black dress. "Ginny and I helped him pick it out," her best friend said with a smile. "No offense, Hermione, but your mate doesn't have the best sense of fashion."

Hermione had laughed at that, thinking that it was probably true, given his apparent aversion to clothing. Plus, it was good to know that Ginny had helped pick it out knowing that she wouldn't have selected something that would make Hermione look bad. It was also nice to know that her friends were making efforts to get to know Fenrir better, because like it or not, he was now a part of her life.

She took her time getting ready, even styling her hair until it fell in smooth, voluminous waves, and even put on a bit more makeup than usual. The dress fit her perfectly, and judging by how it looked, they were going someplace quite fancy. She felt butterflies in her stomach when she thought that this might be her first "real" date with anyone. It was a little bit sad that she hadn't had the opportunity to do that more while she was growing up with the war, but she didn't let it get her down. She was determined to just forget about the mating tomorrow and enjoy the evening.

Fenrir arrived with Remus shortly before eight o'clock, right on time, and Hermione was impressed with his own attire. He was wearing his new favorite muggle jeans, but with a nice button down, tie, and a fitted blue blazer. She couldn't help herself from admiring how well it was tailored to his muscular form, and she was quite excited to be going anywhere on his arm.

As soon as he saw her, his jaw had dropped a bit, while his eyes drank in her form, from her done up hair, all the way down to her high heels. "Mate — Hermione, you look... _wonderful_ ," he said, an unnamed emotion shining in his blue eyes. Hermione blushed, knowing just how appealing he found her, and quite relished in that knowledge.

"Thank you, Fenrir," she said, closing the distance between them and pressed what was meant to be a chaste kiss to his lips, but it quickly moved a bit deeper. When he caught her lower lip between his sharp teeth, she couldn't stop the moan from escaping her throat.

Remus cleared his throat. "Fenrir, if you want to make your reservation, you should really be on your way," the older man said, clearly not wanting a front row seat to their amorous activities.

Reluctantly, Fenrir pulled away, a look on his face like he would like to just forget the reservation and carry her off to his den. But, at the same time, he knew that he had put in a lot of work into making this night _perfect_ for his little mate, and so he wanted to show it off. Offering her an arm, he led her out of the front door of Grimmauld Place, walking a short way down the street, until they got to a bus stop.

Hermione was immensely impressed _and_ surprised that Fenrir had even figured out the buses, and that he confidently got on board, giving the correct muggle change for both of their tickets. He found them a seat together, and offered her the window seat, but she thought that was partially to give his long legs room to spread out. "Wow, you've really learned a lot for me, haven't you?" Hermione asked, while their bus sped along down the road. It was so touching to learn that he had put just as much effort into learning about her culture as she had to his.

"It's not so hard," Fenrir said, though she thought he was probably just trying to project an air of confidence. She knew just how sensitive werewolf senses could be from Remus, so she was sure going out into busy, noisy, smelly London was probably not so fun for him.

In just a few stops, they got off the bus, and only had to walk a short way off the high street, before they came to a little Italian bistro. Fenrir ushered her inside, before giving his name to the host, happily following behind Hermione while they walked to the table. Remus had promised him that they would hold a table for him, but he hadn't been so trustful of the muggles. Still, it worked just like his friend had told him it would.

Hermione helped him to select a bottle of red wine for them to share, and they spent their time discussing all the different kinds of pasta that Hermione enjoyed. Agreeing that they would share bites off of each other plates, they both ordered something that they thought they would like. Fenrir ended up getting some kind of ragu while Hermione got a lasagne.

Fenrir thought it was fun to take bites off of Hermione's offered fork, though he couldn't help but imagine her feeding him with her fingers instead. If he was lucky, perhaps she would let him nip at her tiny digits. It wasn't too much of a stretch for him to imagine feeding her; Hermione was just cheeky enough that he was positive she would enjoy sucking the tips of his fingers, just to drive him wild.

The evening wasn't just a series of more sensual imaginings. Fenrir enjoyed talking more with Hermione about the NEWTs that she was scheduled to take in a few weeks. He hadn't had formal schooling, so it was interesting to hear what kind of things she would be tested on. She also revealed her intentions to work for the Department for Care and Regulation of Magical Creatures, and some of the changes she hoped to make for werewolves, starting first with education.

"There is no reason why, with wolfsbane, the children shouldn't be allowed to go to Hogwarts," Hermione said, a serious look on her face. Fenrir had tried not to wince. He personally would never take wolfsbane, as it completely dulled his nature, but he understood that certain concessions would have to be made to allow werewolf children to go to Hogwarts. He was beginning to learn that compromise could be a good thing.

He'd enjoyed making Hermione laugh, telling her about the time that he got his own wand, his parents unable to take him to Ollivander's. The first wand he'd tried to use and sent him flying and landing straight on his arse, and he nearly wanted to give up, but he tried again until he found one that worked.

It was a nice kind of domesticity that had Fenrir imagining what nights would be like once she lived with him. He was looking forward to making her laugh this hard for the rest of their days.

Having split the bottle of wine, Hermione was buzzing, both from the alcohol and the conversation. It made her a bit bolder than she normally would be, but she knew that she wanted a little alone time with Fenrir as soon as possible. Once he'd paid the bill — very proudly, she might add — she pulled him down an alley to apparate them back to Grimmauld Place, telling him that they didn't need to wait for the bus when magic made traveling so convenient.

She wasn't sure if it was subconscious or just a happy accident, but she'd apparated them back to her room. Fenrir had raised an eyebrow at her, but Hermione didn't care _now_. She'd wanted some alone time with him and it seemed that she was going to get it. "Why don't you make yourself comfortable on the bed," she suggested, wanting to stay something like she was going to slip into something more comfortable, but she wasn't sure if that was warranted.

Walking to her closet, she tucked her high heels in their spot before returning to see Fenrir propped up by her pillows, his long legs stretched out before him. He tried to look casual, but Hermione could see that he was poised and ready to strike. Smirking at him, she walked towards the bed, stopping to untie his shoes and remove them. "No shoes on the bed," she admonished.

"Why don't you come over here and tell that to my face?" Fenrir challenged, sending shivers up her spine. Hermione couldn't think of a better suggestion, so she hopped up on the bed, crawling her way up his body, until she was straddling his waist, hands on his shoulders. Pressed against him this way, she could feel just how hard he was for her, and she couldn't deny that she was excited too.

Not willing to put it off any longer, Hermione leaned down, pressing her lips against his, just like they had before. He didn't wait to nip at her lower lip again, before soothing the flesh with his tongue. Inviting his tongue into her mouth with a caress from her own tongue, Hermione moaned, thinking that she could spend hours kissing him, if only she weren't so desperate for _more_.

Fenrir cupped her arse in his big hands, pressing her against him tightly. Hermione let her hips grind against him, rocking slowly back and forth, their bodies hardly separated. She felt triumphant, hearing the groan that she pulled from his throat. Knowing that he'd been celibate since he found out he had a mate was a bit exciting, and Hermione could only imagine what it would be like when they were finally joined together. She was positively dripping to find out.

Greedy hands pressed up under his blazer, wanting the stiff fabric off, so that she could feel more of his body. Fenrir happily sat up, letting her push the confining bit of clothing off his body. Hermione couldn't stop herself, though, and began working at loosening the tie and undoing all of the little buttons from their respective holes. Fenrir slid his hands up the back of her thighs, under the dress to the place where her arse met her thighs. She smirked hearing his intake of breath at not feeling any fabric, and briefly wondered if werewolves had ever heard of a thong.

Once she had his shirt open, Hermione couldn't stop herself from snarling, seeing as he was still covered up with a plain white tshirt. "Merlin, who would have thought you'd have this much clothing on!" she complained to her chuckling mate, who was only too happy to let her pull the cotton fabric up over his head.

Hermione stared down at his body. He had a few scars here and there, but mostly, his upper half was perfection. It made her a bit proud to see the muscle, covered with dark chest hair, knowing that he was her's and all her's. She let her fingers trail down the center of his chest, all the way down, until she'd circled his belly button and let her fingers stop at the tops of his jeans. Oh, how badly she wanted to see him all for herself.

Fenrir suddenly grabbed her, stopping her from her objective. Hermione looked annoyed, but when she met his eyes, she realized that his control was slipping. "Mate, we've made it this far, as for the agreement. I won't break it the night _before_ the full moon."

She whined, thinking about the throbbing in her insides, wanting nothing more than to let him take her right now, but he had a point. It was true that they had come rather far and it seemed a bit silly to give in to the temptation now. In less than twenty-four hours, she would be his mate forever and then they would have all the time in the world for sex.

Nodding in understanding, Hermione let her hands fall away. "Alright, Fenrir. But won't you stay here tonight? We'll just sleep, I promise." She locked eyes with his softening blues. "I just want you to hold me," she said, trying to sound as innocent as it was.

Her mate nodded in agreement, pressing a kiss to her forehead, her nose and finally to her lips. Standing from the bed, Hermione moved to the closet, to change into her most tame pajamas that she owned, not wanting to tempt the man more than she already had.

When she returned to the bed, Hermione happily snuggled against his side. Fenrir wrapped one arm around her body, holding her to him tightly. His chest turned out to be a rather comfortable pillow. With her arm wrapped around his body, leg thrown over his thighs, he was like a comfy teddy bear to snuggle with.

His gentle breaths soothed her, and focusing on the even breaths, she quickly felt her eyes drooping, heavy with sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Hermione woke up in what could only be described as a cocoon of warmth. She smiled when she remembered that Fenrir had agreed to stay over last night, even if it was just to hold her. His strong body was spooned around her, holding her tightly against him, as if he was afraid that she might run away.

It wasn't difficult for her to realize what it was that had woken her up. Fenrir's lips were peppering kisses up and down her neck, the pleasurable feeling drawing a quiet moan from between her lips, though she was sure with the werewolf hearing he would be easily able to hear. Judging from the smirk that she _felt_ she knew it was true. Her mate ground his hardening cock against her arse. "Good morning mate," he whispered.

She turned over so that they were face to face and gave him a shy smile. It was odd in a way to see Fenrir lying in bed like this...it was so against his wild nature to be in such a domestic setting, but at the same time...Merlin, he looked good with the sun streaming in onto his face. She pressed her lips against his in a chaste kiss, pulling back. "Good morning Fenrir. Thank you for staying over last night. I know it must have been hard…" she trailed off, trying to keep her eyes from sliding down his body.

Her mate knew exactly what she was doing, and smiled. Fenrir wasn't ashamed or shy about his body in any way, and after all, in less than twelve hours they would know _everything_ about one another. "Oh what's one more night after a lifetime of waiting?" Fenrir asked. His face serious, he pushed her hair out of her eyes. "I should go prepare for tonight. Make sure you get to the clearing well before moonrise. It would be ideal for your mating mark to take place right at that time." His fingers brushed the spot on her neck where her mark would be.

"Will it really take that long?" Hermione blurted out, before blushing furiously when she remembered that she would receive the bite hopefully at the zenith of their sexual pleasure.

Fenrir smiled deviously. "Oh, you don't have any idea what you are in for." He caught his teeth on his lower lip, looking over her flushed face with pride. "I look forward to seeing you this evening, little mate," he said, before standing from the bed and quickly getting dressed. He gave her one last look of longing before he apparated away, leaving Hermione to lounge in bed.

* * *

Hermione hadn't stayed in bed long. As the true significance of the day sank in, she felt as though she should get as prepared as possible. After today, she and Fenrir would be linked forever, that was true, but she hadn't really given much thought that today was the first time that they would...go all the way. How was one supposed to prepare to have sex? She briefly thought about asking Ginny, but decided that it would be too embarrassing. Figuring that it was probably a good idea to just be as fresh and clean as possible, she settled into a relaxing bubble bath.

She took her time with her hair once she was done, thinking about wearing it up to keep it out of the way, but she remembered then how much Fenrir enjoyed touching and playing with her curly locks, she decided to leave it down. When it came to undergarments, she picked something that she hoped was a bit enticing and sexy — it was nude lace after all — but she didn't want anything too extravagant. They were going to be in the woods after all.

The worst of it was that she had absolutely no idea what to wear. She thought about asking Remus for advice on _this_ , but then she remembered that he was flying just as blindly as she was when it came to werewolf rituals, and she didn't exactly fancy asking her former Professor what clothing was best to wear when you were going to be fucking. She figured that a dress would probably be best ... After all, Fenrir had been so patient thus far, she didn't want to add any additional barriers to add to his frustration.

But, when she could wait no longer, Remus knocked on the door to accompany her to the clearing. Hermione thought it was a bit uncomfortable that he would be not very far away when she and Fenrir were...consummating their relationship...but she supposed the rest of the pack would be too. She knew this is what Fenrir meant about not having privacy in the pack.

When they arrived, Fenrir was waiting for them — shirtless as usual — trying his very best not to be too antsy and grabby with Hermione, but the way he looked at her was like a child staring at wrapped Christmas presents under the tree.

With his hand on her lower back, Fenrir guided Hermione through the pack, pausing here and there to chat with various people in the pack. She spoke briefly with Celeste, before Fenrir introduced her to Tabitha and Katrina, who were mostly interested in pulling Remus over towards the bonfire to chat, complaining that he hadn't brought Teddy along, but then of course, Teddy was not a werewolf and there would be no one to watch him.

Before she realized it, Fenrir had guided them over to a private clearing not far away from the others, though she wasn't able to see any of them, and she could only hear them if she strained her ears. To her immense surprise, Fenrir had built a smaller fire for them, and beside it was what looked to be some kind of large animal fur. It was so thoughtful, Hermione thought, that he had done all of this for her, and she was immensely glad that she didn't just have to...roll around on the forest floor.

Hermione was overwhelmed with a wave of nervousness that she hadn't actually felt during the whole month. This was actually happening _now_ , she realized. There was no going back after this evening, but she was a bit scared by how _sure_ she felt at the same time.

Settling her down on the animal fur, Fenrir handed her a cup of mead. Perhaps sensing her nerves, he asked her about how she spent her day, waiting for her to relax, though his eyes were full of lust when he told her how much he would have enjoyed watching her in her bubble bath. She was glad that he hadn't just started in on the physical with her, giving them time to warm up to one another, but before long, her cup was empty and she couldn't stop herself from staring at his lips.

In the end, it was Hermione who closed the distance between them, pressing herself up so that she could reach his lips. It didn't take long for her to open her lips, welcoming him inside of her for a pleasurable caress, deepening the kiss further. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, letting her fingers play with the dark hair at his neck, taking delight in the way he groaned at the contact.

He pulled her so that she was seated securely on his lap, greedy fingers already working at pulling her dress up and over her head. Her body erupted in gooseflesh, but with the warm fire nearby, she knew it was from arousal and not the cold. Fenrir lowered her down, until her back was pressed against the furs and she was laid out in front of him. He pulled back from their kiss, his blue eyes drinking in her form. Seeing the look of absolute wonder and the burning desire reflected in her eyes, Hermione felt herself flush with power and confidence.

It didn't take long for Fenrir to collapse over her again, though instead of meeting her in a passionate kiss, he instead took his time peppering open mouthed kisses down her neck, sucking against the skin before soothing it with his tongue. It was almost as if he were trying to mark her now, but without his teeth.

Still, his lips moved lower, until he was kissing the tops of her breasts, his hands coming up to rub against her nipples through the fabric of her bra. Hermione let her hands tangle in his hair, holding him to her body, overwhelmed by the feelings bubbling up inside her. Her whole body felt hot, and she couldn't stop from rocking her hips against him, her body instinctively knowing that was coming next. She could already feel wetness forming between her legs, and pressed her thighs together, desperate for some relief.

Sensing that she wanted more, Fenrir used his hands to try and pull off her bra, only to be thwarted by the clasp in the back. Hermione couldn't stop her little giggle at his frustration, but she reached behind her to remove the offending object. When her breasts were revealed to him, he immediately pressed his lips to one pebbled nipple, laving the hard flesh with his tongue.

Hermione felt herself getting light headed, her body swirling in sensation. It felt amazing to have him play with her body this way, but at the same time, instinctively, she knew that she wanted more. "Please, Fenrir." Her voice sounded breathy and wanton in the night air, but she didn't care. Instead, all she could focus on was her mate kissing lower and lower down her stomach until his lips were at the edge of her knickers and his fingers were pulling them down, down, down…

He pressed his hands against her hips, perhaps knowing her own reactions better than she did, but she was glad that he did, because the moment his hot breath ghosted along her sex, her hips bucked all on their own. She was about to try and stop him — seeing as she had definitely never done _that_ before — but before she could, he'd pressed his flattened tongue against the bead at the top of her sex, licking her insistently.

She gasped in pleasure, thinking that this just about felt better than anything she could imagine. Of course she'd masturbated before, but this felt completely different, and he was quickly able to figure out a pattern that had her moaning loudly, her hands in his hair once again, pressing back against his mouth. Circling, flicking, sucking against her little pearl, Hermione found herself hurtling faster towards orgasm than she could ever achieve on her own, and then she was snapping, stiffening, toe curling straight into pure heaven.

He nursed her through the rippling pleasure of orgasm, until she could stand it no longer. Rocking back on his heels, Fenrir stared down at her dazed expression with an intense masculine pride, triumphant and proud. She watched, helpless, as he palmed his cock through his jeans, perhaps searching for some kind of relief.

"Take them off," she commanded in her usual bossy tone, only to blush again in embarrassment. She wasn't used to being so _forward_ in telling people to divest.

Fenrir was only too happy to unzip the jeans and push them down his hips, revealing to her for the first time the bits between his legs. Of course, Hermione had never seen one before in real life, but she thought that he seemed _much_ bigger than what she was expecting. She couldn't stop staring at it, not even when he wrapped a hand around it and gave it a few strokes.

Forcing herself to look at his face, Hermione was surprised to see that his normally cheeky demeanor had been replaced with something much more _serious_. His eyebrows were drawn together and it seemed as if he were drinking in her naked form like he was never going to see it again. She wondered what she might look like, laid back on furs, naked and lusty. If she didn't still feel like she was floating on a cloud, she was sure that she would be furiously embarrassed.

Before she could think on it much more, he'd taken his hand from around his cock, and instead ran his fingertips along her lips, gathering the wetness than he found there, before dipping one finger inside her slit. Their twin hisses broke the stillness of the clearing. Fenrir smiled at her. "You are so tight, mate. I can't wait to feel you around my cock."

He smirked when her walls clenched unbidden around his finger, and he began pumping in and out of her. When he worked a second finger inside of her, Hermione was amazed by just how good it felt to be so full, and she found herself pushing back against him. "So do it then," she challenged, wanting to feel him inside of her.

Fenrir chuckled under his breath. "Impatient witch." He pressed his thumb against her clit to circle around it, while still thrusting his fingers in her. "Give me one more, I don't want to hurt you," he encouraged, never letting up, grinning down at her while she moaned in time with his movements. It was impossible not to thrust back against him, and even more impossible to stop herself from hurtling towards the edge, his name on her lips when she finally fell. Fenrir wanted to burn the look of her coming around him into his brain forever.

Hermione lay there bonelessly while she recovered, and when she finally looked back up at him, he was rubbing his wet fingers along his hard cock. Hermione could tell that it was nearly moonrise, so they really needed to get moving if they were going to do this properly. Despite how much she trusted Fenrir, she didn't fancy him turning into a werewolf while she remained a tasty human. "Ready?" she questioned, gently.

Her mate looked at her, nodding slowly, before grabbing her by the hips. It didn't take her long to figure out that he wanted her to flip over on her hands and knees. When she thought on it, it made sense that he would want to do it this way, but she still couldn't believe she was going to lose her virginity this way. It was...not embarrassing, really, just not how she expected. Fenrir pressed gently on her shoulders, until she was folded with her face in her arms, in the furs, and her arse high up in the air.

Cheeks burning, Hermione could tell that Fenrir was inspecting her, before he ran a finger up her slit again. "You are so beautiful, mate," he whispered, before pressing his cock against her entrance. She stilled, but tried to keep relaxed while he pushed in. There was a slight pinch when he breached her barrier, but his movement was aided by just how wet she was. She felt a bit uncomfortably full, but it wasn't nearly as painful as people would lead you to believe. With him fully inside of her, he pressed his fingers against her clit, gently circling it, until she'd relaxed and all the pain had dissipated.

He slowly pulled back out of her, making her gasp and her walls grab around him, as though she didn't want him to leave. To her body's pleasure, thought, he was soon thrusting back in, slowly and gently. With each stroke of his hips he seemed to gain speed and strength, and soon, she couldn't hold back the moans of pleasure at being so full up. She wasn't alone, though, seeing as he was similarly groaning.

Hermione was amazed by how good everything was feeling, and part of her was wondering why she'd ever put it off so long. The other part of her knew that she and Fenrir had some kind of special connection and the emotional connection that they'd forged in the past weeks made it all the better. Still, he was hitting some part deep inside of her that had her seeing stars with each and every thrust and she knew she was close. It was good, seeing as his movements were becoming more erratic and forceful and she knew he was close too.

It only took a few more thrusts before she was clenching her eyes tightly, Fenrir's name ripped from her in a keening wail while pleasure washed over her, and she could feel her body fluttering around him. Fenrir practically roared at the feeling, pressing his chest against her back and his teeth against her neck. Before she knew it, he'd sunk his teeth as deep in her neck as his cock was buried inside of her, shallowly rocking, easing him through orgasm while the moon rose over them.

In the end, Hermione was positive that the bite itself wasn't what hurt, or it was at least masked by the overwhelming pleasure Fenrir had given her. But once that had ebbed, and the rays of moonlight touched her body, pleasure was quickly replaced with pain, while her body reformed into that of a werewolf.


	16. Chapter 16

Waking up covered in blood was a new experience for Hermione. She had sticky coagulated blood down her neck, on her hands and face, and even a slightly more pinkish blood between her thighs. Moving tentatively, she groaned, feeling soreness in muscles that she didn't even know she had. She knew that the act of mating with Fenrir had been part of it, but also, the transformation hasn't been easy either.

Memories of becoming a werewolf had flooded her mind. She had been able to feel her bones bend and break, reforming into a lupine form, muscles lengthening and stretching while she grew and changed. It had been terrifying at first, but then Fenrir had been there, easing her through it. He held her, holding off his transformation until the last possible moment to try to give her comfort, and then he'd showed her how to walk on her unsteady new paws.

After the moment of panic had passed, Hermione quickly adjusted to her new senses. She could hear, smell, see nearly everything, it seemed. She could sense the rest of the pack, not far away, and Fenrir had taken her to run with them.

She'd been oddly proud to see her mate, a huge black wolf, with a stripe of grey down his back, and know that he was hers. It was nice to be surrounded by the pack, sensing their bond, and it was even easy for her to find an unusually playful Remus. Once she was surrounded by the other wolves, Hermione could feel the grasp of her mind slipping away from her, and before she knew it, she was driven purely by instinct. She thought that they had gone hunting...at least that would explain the blood on her hands and face.

Hermione tried to sit up gingerly, only to be thwarted by her mates big hands on her shoulders. "Easy little mate. You had a big night — you even caught a rabbit. I am sure you are sore," Fenrir said in that rumbling voice of his, and Hermione could easily feel herself reacting to him. Suddenly, the pull of her _mate_ , her _true_ mate was so much more powerful. She understood everything that he'd been feeling these past weeks, and she began to feel a bit awful making him wait so long. It was easy to see how it would have caused him physical pain, holding off the way that she did. But now, it seemed a bit silly that she put it off when it was the most wonderful feeling. She _did_ blush hearing about the rabbit, knowing that her subconscious probably had a bit of a grudge against it for eluding her while she was hunting it in human form.

She nodded. "I didn't even know I could ache this way." Her voice was shy, as she knew only half of the ache was caused by her muscle soreness...the other half was from desire to be filled by her mate once again.

Fenrir smiled at her, before bending down to press his lips to hers, perhaps not caring that she was all bloody. She was mesmerized by the blue color of his eyes, and the way they shone with love. "I am so proud of you little mate...Hermione. You did so well, and now you are mine forever. I love you."

Hermione gasped, realizing that he had never actually said those words to her before, though he had made his claim on her known, and how attractive he'd found her. She wrapped her arms around his neck while he pulled her into his lap, burying her face into his neck. Merlin, being so close to his pulse point made her ache for the chance to claim him as _hers_ as well.

"I love you, too," she whispered, knowing that it was true. It had felt like a big step, like something that was happening too soon, but now she just knew that it felt right.

"Come, let's get you home so that you can clean up," Fenrir said, standing before walking away from their private little clearing. Hermione looked at the dead fire and the animal furs and realized that they must have returned there.

It didn't take long until they got to the house, and Hermione gasped, realizing that she hadn't seen the outside properly before. It was such a cute little cottage, decorated so that it would easily blend in with the rest of the forest. It was small, but there was definitely enough room for them as well as any...children that might come along in the future.

Fenrir carried her to the bathroom, and she was impressed to see the largest tub that she ever could have imagined. She could feel him smirking at her wide eyes. "I wanted to make sure it was big enough to share." A few waves of his wand and the tub was filled with hot water, and Fenrir was stepping in, still holding her in his arms. With his legs out in front of him, he nestled her between them, so that her back was pressed against his chest, and he could still hold her close.

Hermione sighed, feeling the soreness leave her muscles, while her mate gently rubbed a soft, soapy cloth up and down her arms, paying particular attention to the mark on her neck and the place between her thighs.

She giggled, batting his hands away, feeling the hardness of his cock against her arse. "As much as I would love to do that, Fenrir, I am _exhausted_. I think I could just drift off right now." Instead of drifting off, though, she turned to face him, grabbing the cloth from his hand, returning the favor of cleaning his body off as well.

When they were both spotless, Fenrir helped her up from the tub, drying her off with a big fluffy towel, and using his wand to dry her hair to it's normally wild state. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, to help her hobble her way out of the bathroom, he led her to bed. "It will get easier each month as your body gets used to the change. As you can see, I have no pain the morning after the full moon."

It was good to hear that, Hermione decided, but before they could discuss it further, Hermione gasped in surprise _again_. The bedroom was filled with all of her things from Grimmauld Place! "When did you manage to do all this? I was with you all night last night."

"Potter and Weasley suggested they do it. Thought you might like a familiar place to rest after…" Fenrir trailed off, before pulling back the covers to tuck her in, before coming round to the other side of the bed, and getting in what he'd decided was _his_ side. "You can thank them tonight...I think a few of them are coming over to celebrate?"

Hermione was so touched by how her friends had done so much, been so thoughtful of her. She was excited to thank them personally that evening. But for now, being cradled in Fenrir's strong arms, she could feel here eyelids drooping. Sleep was calling.

* * *

The sun was setting by the time that Hermione woke up, and Fenrir told her that he'd spoken with Lupin to have the others come over in about half an hour. Hermione felt a little bit panicked, trying to get ready when she looked like she had just rolled out of a dryer. She'd spent most of her time trying to fix her hair and get dressed that she hadn't had time to cover the truly impressive love bites that Fenrir had given her all around her mating mark. Squaring her shoulders, though, she decided that she wasn't going to be embarrassed by them, especially after seeing how much Fenrir loved to see them peeking out of the top of her dress.

Her friends arrived in their combination kitchen and dining room, and Hermione had given all of her friends hugs. She saw Ginny's eyes zero in on the bruise, and she just knew that the redhead was dying to ask questions but wouldn't do it in front of her brother and boyfriend. Remus and Teddy helped Fenrir with opening bottles of butterbeer to pass around, while Hermione talked with the others.

"So, congratulations," Harry said, a bright blush on his face.

"Did you really just congratulate me on having sex, Harry?" Hermione deadpanned, enjoying seeing her friend sweat a bit, knowing that he was the one who concocted this whole month long affair in the first place.

"Yes. I mean no. I mean...well, I guess? Congratulations on your _mating,"_ he said firmly. "Remus told us it was basically like a wedding."

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. She supposed it was like a wedding in a way, while being simultaneously less _and_ more than that. "Well, thank you, I suppose," Hermione finally said.

"What was it like? Being a werewolf?" Ron finally blurted out, and Hermione could see that he was intensely curious about it. She knew even though the Weasleys were more tolerant of people like Remus, there was still a lot of false information about werewolves out there in the world. It really made her wish for a proper book on the subject, but for now, Hermione just tried to explain to him what it was like. It was actually a bit difficult for her to contain the excitement explaining all of the new things she could sense.

Meanwhile, Remus and Fenrir talked quietly in the kitchen, listening to the younger ones' excited laughter. "Thank you for helping me to get my mate," Fenrir said, looking at Remus quite seriously. He knew that Hermione wouldn't have given him half a chance if he hadn't had Remus guiding him along. Though, he knew that the other man had only done it because he'd been tricked into it, and it was his own life on the line, but over the past weeks, he'd grown to really enjoy having Remus around. "You know that you are _always_ welcome in the pack, should you want to be."

Remus's cheeks turned a bit pink at the suggestion. "Yes, pack life is much different than I ever expected it would be, and it was...nice to have companionship through the full moon. It's been a long time."

Fenrir smirked at the sandy-haired man, with his werewolf sense of smell, he'd easily been able to identify Remus's scent mingling with Tabitha and Katrina's though he wasn't sure just how _far_ the relationship went. He knew that Remus would have a lot on his mind, especially with the little tyke in his arms.

Shaking his head, Fenrir took a long drink of the butter beer the wizards seemed to prefer, though personally he found it much too weak and much too sweet. "Actually, Remus, I was wondering...what is a human mating like? How do muggles decide to be together forever?" Ever since learning about all the interesting and odd things muggles did to _date_ , Fenrir had been excited to show Hermione he cared about her, in her own culture's terms.

Remus's eyebrows flew up to his hairline, when he saw Fenrir gazing at his new mate, a wistful look on his face. Really, Fenrir was turning out to be much more of a family man than Remus _ever_ could have imagined. Hermione was good for him, he decided. Clearing his throat, he got Fenrir's attention again. "Well, they usually get engaged to be married first, and then they have a wedding. It's similar to a wizarding bonding, but without magic of course. The first step, though, is usually to get the woman's father's permission to marry his daughter."

Fenrir groaned aloud. "Hermione's father hates me, I know it. He prefers Weasley."

Remus clapped Fenrir on the back. "Don't worry, _alpha_ ," Remus said the term with no malice, this time, but with none of the typical reverence either. "I think I can help you out with that."

Agreeing, Fenrir walked over to Hermione, wrapping his arm around her shoulders listening in on her conversation with her friends. It felt so wonderful to have her in his arms, proudly able to show off that she was _his_ mate. He felt a sense of peace and contentment settle over him that he hadn't felt in many years. Seeing Hermione grin up at him, he knew that she was worth the wait.


	17. Chapter 17

_One Year Later_

Fenrir paced about in the muggle suit, feeling like it was much too tight and much too constricting for his large form. Remus and Potter had insisted that it was tailored for him properly, but he still couldn't get comfortable. It was times like these that he wondered what his fascination with muggles was.

And then he would remember Hermione. His sweet little mate.

He would wear the funny black outfit if that was what was expected of him. And really, most muggle clothes weren't that bad. He even had a small section of the shared closet at the house for his clothes. Fenrir didn't mind the jeans much at all, and he'd been pleased to learn that muggles also had less formal shirts. He'd been very glad to learn from Hermione that many muggles just wore tshirts. Still, he usually only put a shirt on if he knew that they were going to have company. He enjoyed catching his mate staring at his form too much to stop.

Remus placed a hand on his shoulder, which honestly did calm him a bit. He was pretty sure he was making the muggle priest a bit nervous, not just because of his anxious energy, but his huge size as well. Apparently, this was the church that Hermione had gone to as a child and seeing that _he_ was the one she'd decided to marry was a surprise.

In the end, Fenrir didn't have to ask for Greg Granger's permission to marry his daughter. Once they told Hermione's parents that she was pregnant, they'd practically demanded it. Luckily, he'd already had a ring — selected with Remus's assistance — waiting in his pocket at all times for the right moment, so he was still able to help Hermione participate in the muggle tradition.

Her getting pregnant hadn't been something that he had planned on, but it wasn't as though he wasn't trying. She'd told him a little over a moon since they mated — since she'd reciprocated and gave him a matching mating mark — that she'd skipped her monthly, and he was _finally_ able to understand why her scent had changed.

Hermione had apologized profusely. Apparently, she'd been on some kind of potion that would prevent pregnancy, but she'd forgotten to take it, being so busy with studying for her NEWTs and then starting her new job at the Ministry, working in the Department for the Care and Regulation of Magical Creatures, specializing in werewolves.

Fenrir had never loved her so sweetly as that day, when she told him she was carrying his pup. He didn't think that it was possible for him to love her any more than he already did, but he felt his heart clench so tightly, it hurt. With his cock buried deep inside her, he'd made her promise to never again apologize for quickening with his seed, that he would provide for her and their children, and let her know that he was very, _very_ pleased.

He'd been extremely excited to have a pup, especially seeing Lupin with his own, Teddy. Hermione's parents had been much less excited to have a grandchild and him as a permanent part of their family. Fenrir thought they were more upset with the realization that their daughter was tied to him forever. Too bad they didn't know that he was _already_ her mate and there was nothing they could do to separate them.

Hermione insisted that a baby wasn't going to ruin her life, and her job had been very accommodating. Learning that she was growing the pack had brought the rest of the werewolves closer to her, as well, which in turn made them more willing to accept some of the changes that she was making. Their pack had been largely nomadic, but now that she had a home built, some of the others began making their own homes.

She'd been able to make significant changes already to the wizarding world, repealing Umbridge's damaging legislation easily, and more significantly, gotten a bill passed to allow werewolf children the right to be educated at Hogwarts. That had caused a lot of heated discussion between him and Hermione because one of the conditions was that they must take wolfsbane during the full moon, which was damaging in Fenrir's opinion. Hermione now could see his side, especially after months of transformations and she could see how useful _embracing_ your instincts could be. But, she explained that they needed to take baby steps to get the wizarding world to see werewolves as people first.

He'd begun to accept that compromise could be a useful tool to get what you wanted.

Hermione had given birth a little more than a month before the wedding to a tiny baby boy called Ragnar. Jean Granger had been very disappointed at the name choice, wishing Hermione would have chosen a _nice_ , British name, but Fenrir had been honored at the nod to his Norwegian roots. Hermione's mother had been even _more_ annoyed when her prediction that Hermione's body still wouldn't be back to pre-baby in time for the wedding didn't come true, but he wasn't about to tell his future mother-in-law about her werewolf healing abilities.

Fenrir turned around, looking at Harry Potter, who was sitting with Weasley. Teddy was in between them, on strict instructions to keep his hair one color — he'd settled on sandy blond — and with Ragnar in his arms. To his amusement the little baby was wriggling around, giving Hermione's friend quite a difficult time of getting comfortable. It made him glad that he'd talked Hermione into putting off whatever this "honeymoon" idea was until their little boy was older...he wasn't willing to have Harry Potter watch his son for an extended period of time.

He was often amazed at how well he and Hermione had taken to being parents. He couldn't deny that he had been dreaming of Hermione round with his child basically since he found out she was his mate, but it was another thing to actually hold a child in his arms. It had been good to have a lot of practice with Teddy. The newly mated couple had even watched him for a week, which allowed Remus, Tabitha and Katrina to get away and sort out just what they were playing with. The trio had come back sated and reeking of sex. Hermione told her friend that she didn't know if she should be happy for him or concerned. She'd had a long conversation with him, in which she told him that he had Teddy to think about too...he didn't need a string of women paraded through his young life.

Hermione had been a natural with the baby so far, carrying Ragnar with her everywhere in a little sling that Carina had made for her, talking to him _constantly_ , telling him everything that she saw. Fenrir was very fond of reminding her that he was much too little to respond to her yet, but she always told him it was good for his development. It was positive, too, for the rest of the pack seeing their alpha female embracing motherhood. He was sure there would soon be a boom of young children in the pack.

Now that she had Ragnar, though, she'd been discussing ways to work at home more, so that she could spend her days with their son. It hadn't been long after that that she broached the possibility of writing a book about werewolves that got to the truth of the matter, in hopes of replacing some of the downright incorrect, truly prejudiced writing that existed out there. Fenrir wasn't initially open to the idea of sharing their secrets with wizards, as he was afraid that wizards might use the writings against him, but she'd been very persuasive about it, that it _would_ be a good thing to help dispel rumors.

He'd broken down and agreed to it, if her supervisor would agree to it as well. Hermione had just smiled sweetly at him and told him that she'd already gotten approval, and was excited to start once she returned from maternity leave. Fenrir supposed he was glad to have her safe at home rather than trying to track down lone werewolves, even though he knew that she could handle herself.

Before he could think on it more, the music began to play and he turned to see Hermione standing with her father at the end of the aisle wearing a tight, form fitting dress. She'd been very insistent that he couldn't see her today until the wedding, and now he could totally appreciate why. She looked so beautiful standing there, her body in lace, that he felt like the proudest werewolf — man — to know that he had her for the rest of his life.

Hermione was crying by the time she reached the altar, her father giving her hand to his, but her face was brightened by the broadest smile. He wanted to kiss her right then and there, deeply, in front of all of Hermione's judging family, but he had been _expressly_ instructed by Hermione, Remus _and_ Potter that there could be no kissing until the little priest said they could.

The ceremony passed by in a blur, with a lot of sitting and standing back up again, and vows that both he and Hermione promised to one another, but he would have promised her anything that she asked for when he was staring into her warm, brown eyes.

When the priest asked if anyone had any objections, pointedly looking at Hermione's judgy parents, Fenrir had to repress the need to growl. Luckily, no one spoke up and it was finally his turn to kiss Hermione. Wrapping one arm around her tiny waist, the other holding at the back of her neck so that he didn't mess up the updo that she'd given herself, holding her tightly to his chest. His mouth slotted against hers, eager. He pressed his tongue along the seam of her lips, only to tangle with hers. He felt her hands on his biceps, the material of his suit bunching under greedy little fingers, and he thought about how she'd scolded him earlier to not wrinkle his suit, when he was sure she would be the cause of all wrinkles.

He could smell her body's reaction to him, and could hear a low moan forming in the back of her throat. It felt better than anything to know that he could still draw this kind of reaction from her even a year later...that kissing never got old between them.

A throat clearing from behind him got his attention, and he reluctantly disentangled himself from his _wife_. He was just about to send a growl Remus's way, only to look out on the sea of Hermione's intensely disappointed family and a slightly concerned priest. Oh, apparently it was just supposed to be a little peck on the cheek.

Hermione didn't seem bothered, so he was determined not to let it bother him either. She looked at the priest expectantly, and waited for him to pronounce them _man_ and wife, which made him smirk endlessly, knowing that all these muggles had no idea that they were in the same room with not one, not two, but three veritable werewolves.

When it was time to leave the little church, Hermione eagerly took Ragnar in her arms, peppering little kisses on his little face, blue eyes staring up at her, and chubby little hands reaching for her face, while Fenrir wrapped an arm around her waist, guiding her back down the gaudy aisle.

He still wasn't entirely sure why muggles had these weddings, but he knew he would do it again and again if it meant making his little mate happy. Even if it meant facing down her tiny little grandmother who had a lot to say about the length of his hair.

Because he was _meant_ for Hermione. And she was meant for him.


End file.
